


God of Night

by Anaklusmos14



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-11
Updated: 2013-10-25
Packaged: 2017-12-29 02:17:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/999694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anaklusmos14/pseuds/Anaklusmos14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Percy wasn't a son of Poseidon but actually a son of Zeus and the full-blooded brother to two Olympians? What if something happened millennia earlier that led to his very existence being erased from all memory. But now he is back and not that same Percy he once was. Can someone bring the old Percy back or is he lost forever? AU Percy as a God.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1

Deep into northern Maine, three demigods were locked in battle with a powerful monster. The Manticore, or Dr. Thorn as he seemed to be called, was attempting to capture two powerful young half-bloods and bring them back to his master. The three other demigods, a daughter of Zeus, a daughter of Athena and a son of Apollo were sent from Camp Half-Blood to rescue the two young children but were fighting a losing battle against the powerful foe.

Just as hope of saving the two captured demigods was slipping away, a group of teenage girls wearing silver parkas and combat boots emerged from the woods, their bows loaded and aimed for the Manticore. At the command of a silver eyed twelve year old girl, the hunters began firing arrows at the monster who was backed up to the edge of a cliff.

While distracted, the daughter of Zeus managed to sneak the two captured demigods safely away from the monster. The daughter of Athena, who had slipped on her invisibility cap, was sneaking up on the unsuspecting beast. At the same time, a hunter with a silver circlet on her head was all making her way closer to the Manticore in an effort to finish it off.

"Permission to kill milady?" The huntress asked.

"Direct interference is not permitted." The Manticore growled at the silver eyed twelve year old girl.

"The hunting of all wild beasts in permitted within my domain. As you are a wild creature, I am permitted to hunt you." The twelve year old replied coldly to the monster.

"Permission granted Zoe." The twelve year old announced.

The huntress, Zoe, stepped forward to finish off Thorn, but in a last ditch effort, the monster lunged forward, snatching Zoe and the still invisible daughter of Athena before jumping over the edge of the cliff behind him.

The demigods and hunters watched in horror as the Manticore dragged Zoe and the Athena girl, Annabeth, off the edge of the cliff.

Before the group atop the cliff could react to the two girls being dragged to their death, a chilling voice behind them spoke.

"Such a pity; but do not fear, I will make sure you are reunited with your little friends quite soon." The voice said.

The group turned around to find a cloaked man with an army of undead behind him smiling evilly in their direction.

The silver eyed girl grew to an age closer to eighteen and walked towards the man with a bow loaded and an arrow aimed at his head.

"Who are you?" She growled at the man.

The man's smile grew, "Does the little goddess want to play? I think we would love to play with you and your friends Artemis."

Artemis fired an arrow at the man before her eyes widened when the man caught the arrow without flinching before tossing it back at the goddess' feet.

"That wasn't very nice my dear. I'm afraid play time is now over." He said mockingly as his army of undead stepped forward.

Artemis' hunting knives appeared in her hands before a shadow wrapped around her throat and lifted the goddess several feet off the ground. The hunters raised their bows but before they could fire the man waved his hand as their weapons were knocked out of their grasps.

"Do you feel it moon goddess? The fear of knowing your death is only seconds away and you are powerless to stop me?" The man said before a sadistic grin appeared on his face as the shadows began to wrap tighter around her neck.

"Kill the little demigods." The man commanded to his army as they took a step towards the weaponless hunters.

Before they could attack, shadows gathered between the man and the goddess. The shadow around the throat of Artemis vanished before four figures solidified out of the darkness revealing three beautiful women and a tall man wearing a hood that hid his face from view.

The man standing in front of the army of undead scowled at the group, "You have no business here Nyx. Be assured you will be seeing a lot from me and sooner than you wish." He growled before a shadow consumed his body and that of his army as they vanished from their spots.

Nyx turned to the male in the group and nodded as a shadow appeared in front of him and out popped the two girls who had been dragged off the cliff. The two girls landed at Artemis' feet where the goddess looked at them in shock before turning back to Nyx.

"Why are you here Nyx?" She asked confused.

The Primordial Goddess of Night glared at Artemis, "If the choice were mine, I would have allowed him to kill you without a second thought." She sneered. "But my son wished to protect his niece and former friends from the death that you all would have received had we not intervened."

The man looked toward his mother disbelievingly before shaking his head.

Artemis looked at the man in the group with confusion before her look turned to one of contempt, "Who are you?" She demanded.

The man was silent for a moment before raising his head slightly.

"Why am I not surprised you would forget your own flesh and blood, Artemis. Perhaps I should turn around so you can stab me in a place you're more accustomed to." The man replied coldly, hissing when he spoke the girl's name.

The hunters were infuriated when the man had the audacity to speak to their mistress that way. Artemis though began to tremble slightly at the man's voice. She tried to speak but the words caught in her throat.

After a moment, she took a cautious step towards the man, who immediately stepped back away from her.

"P..Percy?" She whispered so quietly it was barely heard.

The man scowled underneath his hood, furious she would even speak his name. He flipped his hood off revealing the handsome face of an eighteen year old man with long jet black hair and eyes that were black, the color of the night sky.

"Do not speak my name you traitorous bitch. If not for Zoe and Annabeth, I would have gladly let him squeeze the life out your body." He said with an icy tone, causing Artemis to flinch.

"How dare you speak to Lady Artemis that way, boy?" The huntress, Zoe, yelled at the man.

The man turned to look at Zoe, his eyes softening when he looked at her before turning cold as he turned back to Artemis.

"I hope you enjoyed the past two millennia as your little lies will come to an end soon enough. The truth will be discovered when this war begins and perhaps I can finally have the revenge I have thirsted for everyday for the last two thousand years." Percy growled at the goddess.

Tears began to fall from the eyes of the Goddess of the Hunt, millennia of regret she had carried hitting her with full force.

"I made a mistake Percy. I've looked for you for every chance I could; Apollo as well. I am so sorry Percy." She pleaded as she cried openly, causing the hunters to stand shocked at the scene in front of them.

Percy's eyes flashed with anger at her words. "If I had wanted to see you don't you think I would have found you myself? If it was my choice, I wouldn't have to look at your face for another two thousand years."

Artemis began to tremble again tears flowing down her face freely. The hunters stepped forward to kill the man who was upsetting their mistress.

"No! Don't touch him!" She snapped at her hunters. "Get back. I will join you in a moment." She ordered them.

The hunters stood, unsure of what to do. "Now!" She screamed causing all but Zoe to walk away in confusion.

"Why are you here?" Artemis asked as she still cried in front of the man. "And what does Nyx mean son? You're my brother Percy."

Percy laughed humorously, "You think mother still considered you her daughter? Where do you think I went after you betrayed me? She is the one who asked Nyx to take me under her wing before she faded, never seeing you or your worthless twin brother again."

"Our mother is gone?" Artemis asked in disbelief.

Percy's eyes became enraged as a sword appeared in his hand, "Why would you care? You cared about her like you cared about me. You always were a little Daddy's girl but you would think you could have taken the time to at least visit her once every few centuries."

Zoe who was standing beside her mistress in shocked silence looked at the sword in Percy's hands and gasped, "How did you get that sword?"

Percy looked over at Zoe as his eyes lost their anger as it was replaced by pain, "You gave it to me long ago; before Artemis betrayed me. You were my..." He hesitated, "best friend after all."

Zoe's eyes widened before they narrowed, "You lie boy. I don't know you."

Percy winced before shaking his head, "Why don't you ask Artemis about that. I believe you are missing a few hundred years of memories if you think about it hard enough."

Zoe turned as looked at her mistress but Artemis wouldn't meet her eyes making Zoe pale at the thought that his words had been the truth.

One of the women stepped forward and whispered some words in Percy's ear. Percy nodded before the woman kissed him on the cheek as he dissolved into shadows.

When Zoe watched the woman kiss Percy on the cheek she felt the urge to wring her neck for some unknown reason.

The woman stepped forward, "I recommend you go tell your Daddy what happened here Phoebe Artemis. I believe you will be seeing more of my brother sooner than you wish."

Artemis eyes widened as she looked at the woman confused, "Eris?"

The woman growled under her breath and nodded as the last unknown woman stepped forward looking at Artemis distastefully, "Just remember that in the end, it will all balance out. You will pay for what you did to our brother you heartless bitch."

Artemis narrowed her eyes, "Watch yourself Nemesis; I am an Olympian Goddess."

Nyx stepped beside her two daughters, her eyes flashing with anger, "And I am a Primordial Goddess you arrogant little brat. Unless you wish to incur my wrath you will speak to my daughter with respect." She hissed before the three women dissolved into shadows just as Percy had done.

Artemis immediately broke down into tears when the three goddesses were gone leaving Zoe more confused than she could deal with.

"Artemis, who was that man and why did he say he was my best friend and why did you say he was your brother?" She asked.

Before Artemis could answer, a stern voice spoke from behind the two.

"That would be Perseus, God of Heroes, Loyalty and Night, as well as the former twelfth Olympian and the banished and betrayed youngest son of Zeus and Leto." Spat the voice angrily.

Zoe turned to see Lady Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy staring down at her mistress with anger and disgust.


	2. A New Family

Ch. 2

Artemis' eyes widened as she looked at the woman confused, "Eris?"

The woman growled under her breath and nodded as the last unknown woman stepped forward looking at Artemis distastefully, "Just remember that in the end, it will all balance out. You will pay for what you did to our brother you heartless bitch."

Artemis narrowed her eyes, "Watch yourself Nemesis; I am an Olympian Goddess."

Nyx stepped beside her two daughters, her eyes flashing with anger, "And I am a Primordial Goddess you arrogant little brat. Unless you wish to incur my wrath you will speak to my daughter with respect." She hissed before the three women dissolved into shadows just as Percy had done.

Artemis immediately broke down into tears when the three goddesses were gone leaving Zoe even more confused as she tried to comprehend the scene she had just witnessed.

"Artemis, who was that man and why did he say he was my best friend and why did you say he was your brother?" She asked.

Before Artemis could answer, a stern voice spoke from behind the two.

"That would be Perseus, God of Heroes, Loyalty and Night, as well as the former twelfth Olympian and the banished and betrayed youngest son of Zeus and Leto." Spat the voice angrily.

Zoe turned around find Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy staring down at her mistress with anger and disgust.

Artemis spun around on her sister with narrowed eyes, "Why are you here Athena?"

Athena rolled her eyes, "I was hoping to thank my brother for saving my daughter but it was clear he couldn't stand to be in your presence long enough for me to reach him in time."

Artemis' eyes widened, "You still speak to him?" She asked in disbelief.

Athena smirked, "Of course I do; he is my favorite brother." She said watching Artemis' eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. "Not just me though; Ares, Hermes and Hebe all speak to him as well."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Artemis yelled angrily.

Athena scowled, "Seriously Artemis? Is that a serious question? He hates you and the majority of us can't stand either you or Apollo as well. Did you really think we forgot about what happened all those years ago? We may act like we have but we will never forget what you did to him."

Artemis looked at her sister in shock, "I didn't have a choice. You know I would never have betrayed him if there were any other way."

Athena sent a harsh glare at her half-sister, "It's a little late for explanations Artemis." She said bitterly before her eyes landed on Zoe as she turned back to her sister with a harsh look, "Or if you want to discuss it further; perhaps you can explain to your lieutenant that you betrayed your younger brother to side with that worthless demigod Heracles?"

Artemis' eyes widened as her bow appeared in her hand, "Don't you dare say another word." She growled.

Aegis sprung onto Athena's wrist before thunder boomed loudly overhead. Athena glared at her sister, "Looks like father found out Perseus is back. This should be fun." She said before vanishing in a flash of light.

Artemis stared blankly at the spot Athena vanished from as Zoe looked at the scene in confusion. The one thing she clearly understood was that her mistress and best friend betrayed her own brother for the man that had ruined her life and then lied to her about it for thousands of years.

Artemis snapped out of her shock and looked at Zoe with a worried expression, "Have the girls set up camp here for the night and keep an eye on those two demigods we found. I must go to Olympus immediately."

Zoe looked at her mistress questioningly but before she could speak, Artemis vanished in a flash of silver light.

Artemis reappeared inside the throne room on Olympus where she found her father's face red in anger. She ignored that as her eyes drifted to her brother's whose were without their usual mirth; instead filled with worry, fear and maybe a little bit of hope.

Artemis made her way to her throne and sat down as she waited for her father to speak.

"What happened in Maine?" Zeus growled at his daughter.

Artemis glared at her father, "We were there to find the two children of Hades as you ordered but were attacked by some unknown being. He was powerful, very powerful. He disarmed my hunters with the flick of his wrist before he attacked me. He was… too powerful for me. He used shadows as a weapon. He would have killed me had I not been saved by..." She tried to explain before her father answered for her.

"Perseus?" Zeus spat.

Artemis glared at her father more harshly but nodded, "Yes but he was accompanied by Eris and Nemesis, along with Nyx."

Zeus' eyes widened at the mention of Nyx along with that of half the council while the rest just smirked at their looks of shock.

"What was he doing with a Primordial Goddess?" Zeus asked in a slightly less demanding tone.

"She called him her son." Artemis replied a little sadly.

Zeus paled a bit before turning to Hermes, "Summon Eris and Nemesis here immediately. I demand an explanation."

Hermes shrugged and flashed out of his throne before returning a few minutes later with the two goddesses flanking him on each side.

Zeus looked at the two goddesses with narrowed eyes, "Explain why you were seen with Perseus tonight." He demanded.

Nemesis scoffed, "Do not think we answer to you Zeus. We are not Olympians and thus we do not need to explain ourselves to an arrogant prick like you."

Zeus' eyes widened before he stood up with his master bolt in hand but both goddesses were engulfed by shadows before Zeus could release his bolt.

Before Zeus could say a word, a powerful presence entered the throne room causing the Olympians to pale as a whole.

"You dare threaten my daughters you arrogant fool?" A female voice hissed as a shadow appeared in the middle of the throne room. Out of the shadow, a beautiful woman slowly solidified out of nothingness, her eyes never leaving the now pale King of the Gods.

Nyx stood in the middle of the throne room, power rolling off her body in waves as the Olympians looked on fearfully.

"My children do not serve you Zeus and you would do well to remember that." She spat at Zeus.

Zeus steeled his nerves, "I am King of the Gods and all immortals answer to me."

Nyx's eyes flashed with anger before she flicked her finger in Zeus' direction sending the King of the Gods flying back on to his throne.

"Your arrogance truly blinds you son of Kronos." Nyx said distastefully. "Unless you wish for me to show you the true power of a daughter of Chaos, you will keep that big mouth of yours shut unless I ask you to open it."

Zeus scowled at the goddess, "You cannot defeat us all. You will show me respect inside my throne room." He demanded.

Nyx raised an eyebrow before a dozen shadows appeared around her revealing a many of her children, some dangerous threats in their own right, all ready to battle the Olympians. The one who drew Zeus' attention immediately was his own son Perseus who stood between Lyssa, the Goddess of Madness and the Oneiroi; Morpheus, Phobetor and Phantasos. Nemesis and Eris were beside them along with Thanatos, Moros, Phobetor, Momus and Oizys.

"Do you believe you can defeat a primordial goddess along with a dozen of her children?" Nyx asked mockingly.

Zeus' nostrils flared, "You dare show your face in my throne room?" He bellowed looking directly at Perseus.

Perseus rolled his eyes while Nyx snarled at Zeus, "Choose your next words wisely Zeus as they could be your last as king."

Zeus was about to retort until Hera pulled him back into his throne, "Shut up you fool, your arrogance will get us all killed." He hissed at her husband.

Nyx smiled, "You would be wise to listen to your wife as she is far more intelligent than you."

Hera kept Zeus in his throne but the King of the Gods turned to Hermes, "Get Hades here immediately." He growled.

Before Hermes could flash out, another shadow appeared beside Perseus as Hades stepped out of it into the middle of the throne room, "You called dearest brother?" He asked in a mocking tone.

Zeus glared at his brother, "Half of these gods are from your domain, control your subjects." He growled.

Hades looked at his brother incredulously before laughing loudly, "They are not my subjects you fool. Their domains are in the Underworld and thus work within my domain but I am not arrogant enough to believe them to be under my command." He said with a bit of humor before becoming more serious, "And I would side with my nephew Perseus over anyone on this council without a second thought. Why do you think he was in Maine? I sent him to retrieve my children before your little brat or her friends could bring them to Olympus."

Artemis stood up confused, "Your children are with my hunters."

A snort of laughter snapped Artemis' gaze to her younger brother, "You've become as arrogant as your father. I took them with me before I left. You didn't truly think I would allow you to bring my cousins here to be killed, did you?"

Artemis' face was pained as she looked at Perseus who just looked at her with no emotion, "Percy." She said but he simply turned back towards Hades as if she didn't speak.

Poseidon looked at Nyx warily, "Lady Nyx, if I may ask, why is it that you are here?"

Nyx smiled at him, "Relax Poseidon, my son Perseus is still quite fond of you. I am here to let him," she said with distasteful look at Zeus, "know that my children do not answer to him. If I wished, I would take his throne for myself. As it is, he will lose it to his father soon enough. Some of my children have decided to side with Kronos over Olympus while the rest of my children and I are remaining neutral, for now."

Zeus stood up, "Who dares join the Titans?"

Morpheus, Moros, and Nemesis smirked at Zeus.

"We do you fool. I see we are not needed anymore mother; please inform us if you should need us again." Nemesis said before she and her two brothers vanished from the throne room.

Hera looked at Perseus in shock, "And you? You wish to see your family be destroyed by the Titan Lord?"

Perseus glared at her, "Family? No my family will not be destroyed by the Titan Lord. I have spoken to the Titan Lord myself and he is fine with me and my family," he said gesturing to the group of Nyx's children and Hades, "remaining neutral. We will stay out of the war and will be left to ourselves when you are destroyed."

Athena stood up, "Perseus?" She asked worriedly.

He looked at his half-sister sadly, "You are my family too Athena just as Ares, Hermes, Poseidon and Demeter are. But where were you when I banished? When I watched my mother fade in front of my very eyes. And then when I was about to fade myself? No, my family is with my mother Nyx. Only she and my Uncle Hades cared enough to save me before I faded with my mother. Abandon Olympus and I will provide you sanctuary and protection but I will not fight in a war for the people who took everything that mattered in my life away from me." He said glaring at Artemis harshly as tears began to fall from the moon goddess' eyes.

Athena looked at Perseus sadly, "I understand Perseus. You are right; this is not your fight."

Perseus nodded, "I truly am sorry Athena and I do love you and the others who tried to stop the betrayal."

Athena looked at Perseus sympathetically, "I'm sorry brother, we did let you down."

Perseus clenched his eyes shut before he dissolved into shadows, no longer wishing to look at the family that destroyed his life.

One by one, all of Nyx's children and Hades vanished from the throne room until only Nyx stood looking at the Olympians distastefully.

"Just know you have no chance to defeat Kronos and his army. You face more than one threat but you were all too caught up in your own arrogance to recognize it. The man who attacked Artemis tonight, he is an even more dangerous threat than the rise of the Titans. If he has his way, all the world, Titans, gods, mortals, and demigods will be destroyed. You simply do not have the allies to handle a war on two fronts. I only tell you this because my son Perseus still cares for some of you. Otherwise, I would leave you to be destroyed. Once you have been cast into Tartarus, we will fight with Kronos and the Titans to defeat the other threat. Good luck, you will surely need it." Nyx said seriously before her body exploded into shadows, knocking every Olympian who voted for Perseus' banishment out of their thrones and onto their butts.

Once everyone had returned to their thrones, an eerie silence fell upon the throne room as the gods thought about the words of Nyx before she vanished.

Finally Artemis wiped away her tears and addressed the council, "Nyx was not lying. Whoever that being was that attacked me and my hunters in Maine is too powerful for us to stop along with the rise of the Titans. With the minor gods abandoning Olympus, we do not have enough allies to defeat them both."

Zeus scoffed, "We do not need those petty minor gods; we are Olympians, the most powerful beings in the world."

Before anyone could react, Poseidon stood up from his throne and slammed his trident into the ground in anger sending a shockwave through the throne room, "Enough brother; I will not allow your arrogance to be my downfall. Either we discuss this like intelligent people or I will ask Perseus for protection for me and my family. I will not allow your pride to blind you enough to destroy me and my family. I stood by silently over the years when you mistreated me and our own brother Hades, as well as most other immortal beings simplybecause you were my brother and I was grateful you rescued me and our siblings from our father's stomach. And then despite how much it pained me, I allowed you to banish your own son over the fact that he protected his sister from another of your arrogant little bastards. But no more; either we figure out how to gain more allies or you can fight this war without the aid of sea."

Zeus' face turned bright red, "You dare…." He began before he was interrupted.

"No he is right father. If we don't do something; I will join Poseidon in seeking protection from Perseus. Those of us who didn't betray him do not need to stand by you. We have options to survive this threat unlike the rest of you." Athena said seriously.

Zeus looked at his favorite daughter in disbelief but before he could say anything, more voices spoke.

"I am with them. My nephew was a good kid and did not deserve what you did to him." Demeter said from her throne.

"I'm with them father." Hermes added.

"I am as well. I will not die because you won't accept that we need allies." Ares chimed in.

Zeus looked ready to explode on his throne but Hera stood up before he could say anything, "You are all correct but where can we find allies? We cannot expect the minor gods to come back to us after being mistreated for millennia."

"We may not need to." A small voice said from the side of the throne room.

Twelve pairs of eyes turned towards the small eight year old girl poking at the coals of the hearth. Hestia slowly turned around and met their gazes confidently.

"We only need one ally in this war to turn things in our favor but he will be the hardest to convince." Hestia said seriously.

"Perseus," Athena said as her eyes widened, "We cannot expect him to help us, the betrayal was too unjust for him to forgive us."

Hestia shook her head, "We all know why he is so bitter. You all took away the most important person in his life and then wiped her memories of every moment they spent together. She is the only person on this planet who could ever convince him to help us. If I were him, I would still refuse but he was the best of all of us before he was betrayed. Perhaps he will forgive those of you who betrayed him or perhaps he will not. But she is the only hope you have to convince him." She said before her expression darkened, "I of course will follow the others as Perseus was always my favorite nephew before you all broke him." She said bitterly.

"But how can Perseus turn the war in our favor? I know he is a powerful god and an excellent fighter but he is still only one god." Hera asked confused.

Athena shook her head, "You saw how close he and Nyx are. If Perseus sides with us, so will most of her children. He was taken away as our brother and accepted by those who obviously care for him more than most of us did." She said shooting a glare at Artemis and Apollo who both looked miserable.

"No, we will not ask that little whelp for his aid. I don't care if we need it or not. He is banished and he will remain banished." Zeus bellowed.

Poseidon's eyes flashed with rage, "If you wish to keep your throne as king you will listen to the council before we remove you and allow your much more competent wife to lead the council, brother."

Zeus' glare was murderous but as he looked around the council, not a single other Olympian was backing him, forcing him to have no other option, "Fine." He said through gritted teeth.

Athena turned to Artemis, "Go get your lieutenant. It is time for you to return what you stole from her all those years ago." She said bitterly.

Artemis' face was pale as she shook her head, "No… She will never forgive me. Please don't take her away from me." She said as tears continued to fall from her eyes.

"You did this to yourself Artemis. You stole happiness from your best friend and your own brother. Do not expect to receive any sympathy from us." Athena growled.

"Watch yourself Athena. You think this is easy for her? Percy was everything to her and now you're trying to steal away her best friend as well." Apollo yelled from his throne.

"Are you serious Apollo? Shut that trap of yours before I do it for you." Ares bellowed.

Apollo's eyes caught fire as he stepped off his throne and took a step towards Ares. Poseidon let loose a blast of energy from his trident hitting the ground a few feet in front of Apollo.

"No Apollo. For once, Ares is correct. You two did this to yourselves and now you must face the consequences of your betrayal." Poseidon said harshly.

Apollo glared at his uncle but knew better than to try to retort.

Athena turned to Hermes, "Go get her. We must get this done now."

Hermes nodded as he flashed out, returning a minute later with a very confused Zoe Nightshade.

Zoe looked at her mistress' crying form in shock but before she could say anything Athena spoke up.

"Zoe, you are here to learn the truth about Perseus. We are going return the memories that were taken from you when Perseus was banished." Athena said seriously.

Zoe turned back to her mistress but Artemis refused to meet her eyes. When she turned back to the council, Hera and Athena were right in front of her.

"This will not hurt but you will pass out." Hera explained in a surprisingly kind tone.

Zoe paled but before she could say anything Hera put her index finger to Zoe's head before everything went dark.

Zoe collapsed into Athena's waiting arms.

"It will take time for the memories to return to her. She will remember chunks of time over the next week or so as it is several hundred years of memories." Hera explained as Artemis looked down at Zoe's sleeping form sadly, "I'm sorry Zoe, please forgive me." She whispered quietly.


	3. Memories

Ch. 3  
Zoe turned back to her mistress but Artemis refused to meet her eyes. When she turned back to the council, Hera and Athena were right in front of her.  
"This will not hurt but you will pass out." Hera explained in a surprisingly kind tone.  
Zoe paled but before she could say anything Hera put a finger to her forehead before everything went dark.  
Zoe collapsed into Athena's waiting arms.  
"It will take time for the memories to return to her. She will remember chunks of time over the next week or so as it is several hundred years' worth of memories." Hera explained as Artemis looked down at Zoe's sleeping form sadly.  
"I'm sorry Zoe, please forgive me." She whispered to herself.  
The next thing Zoe saw was herself leading that bastard Heracles through the Garden of the Hesperides. She watched herself help Heracles retrieve an apple after giving him her sword. Zoe felt intense bitterness as she watched the events unfold in front of her. She cursed herself for being so naïve and foolish. She continued watching as Heracles abandoned her outside the garden and then saw herself break down into tears as he walked away. She hated this memory. She wished she had her bow so she could put an arrow in the back of the son of Zeus' head.  
Then Zoe saw something she did not remember. She saw a man walk out of the woods toward Heracles. She hadn't seen this happen originally. But then when she looked over at her past self, she saw herself watching the two men talking+ through teary eyes.  
The man and Heracles began to argue. She couldn't hear what they were saying but she saw Heracles suddenly shove the man out of his way. But the man stepped right back in front of him still arguing. When Heracles went to shove him again, the man decked him. Zoe watched with glee as Heracles crumpled to the ground unconscious. She heard thunder rumbling in the sky but it was ignored by the man. She still couldn't see his face past the hood he wore.  
The man reached down and pulled out the hairpin she had given Heracles before walking towards Zoe's stunned past self. Zoe watched with wide eyes as she talked with him before the man gently wiped a tear from her cheek and placed the pin back in her hair.  
Zoe's head was spinning as she saw herself continue to talk to the man before a smile crossed her face and she nodded happily. Then he offered Zoe his hand, which she took with a blush on her face. Zoe watched as she closed her eyes and then she and man disappeared in a flash of light.  
Zoe was sucked out of that memory and then suddenly appeared in the woods. She saw the silver tents of the hunters and smiled happily, sure she would remember this.  
But instead Zoe saw herself appear with the man in the middle of the camp. The hunters converged around her and the man and Zoe's jaw dropped when she saw the hunter's hugging him. Zoe nearly fainted from shock when she saw Phoebe, the biggest man-hater she ever knew grab the man in a bear hug while smiling happily. When she released him, the man was suddenly tackled to the ground by Artemis.  
Zoe looked at the scene closely, sure that the man was about to be turned into an animal. But she saw the man laugh and playfully shove Artemis off him. When he stood up, his hood finally came down revealing the face of Perseus, the man who had saved her life earlier that night in Maine. Zoe felt all the memories from these two events rush into her mind, her memory of the events from her past self's point of view coming back to her. Suddenly everything went dark again.  
Instead of another memory, Zoe awoke to hear three voices in the middle of an argument. Two seemed to be on the defensive as the third sounded furious.  
"How dare you two think you can do this to me? What did I ever do to you, to any of you?" A familiar male voice yelled.  
"We thought you would be happy. After all these years we finally found a way to force Hera to return the memories Zeus made her steal from Zoe." A female who Zoe realized was Athena replied back confused.  
"Don't patronize me Athena. I know why you did this. You think by trying to fix this I'll come running back to Olympus with a big smile on my face and help you all fight a war I have no part in. I didn't bring this upon you. You and the rest of the Olympians did this to yourselves. Perhaps if you didn't treat the minor gods as beneath you then you might have some allies left." The male voice yelled back.  
Athena was silent but the second male voice finally spoke up, "What would you have us do brother? Wait to be destroyed? Yes, we did this in the hope you would forgive some of us but that isn't the only reason. Athena, Hermes and I have tried to think of a way to fix this a million different ways over the years. This finally gave us chance to make amends for what happened to you all those years ago, to make up for not doing enough to stop it." Zoe heard a gruff male voice she recognized as Ares say in a surprisingly soft tone.  
Perseus sighed, "I never blamed you. I never blamed any of you who tried to protect me. I only blame those two traitorous twin siblings of mine. They are the reason my life was ruined. They betrayed me."  
"Percy you don't have to help us but at least talk to her. She will slowly regain her memories of your time together…" Athena began before Percy interrupted her.  
"No. You think that was easy for me? It took thousands of years but I've moved on. I have no interest in reopening that door again." Percy said with finality. Zoe couldn't help but feel a little saddened despite not really knowing why. She didn't even know this guy but something about the pain in his voice when he spoke broke her heart.  
"Don't lie to us brother. You don't think we check on you? I've spoken to your new siblings and I know you never moved on. It's been thousands of years and you haven't taken a single lover. Not so much as a single date with a mortal or immortal." Ares argued back before a loud crash made Zoe jump a bit from the couch she woke up on.  
"Don't!" Perseus snarled but his voice sounded pained. "It's no one's business but mine who I choose to date and not to date. It's better this way. Now take her back to Olympus and tell Zeus or Hera or whoever concocted to this little plan of yours to shove their little peace offering up their ass; they're a couple thousand years too late."  
"Help us or not, I don't care but you owe it to her to at least explain what happened. You can take her back to Olympus yourself Perseus." Athena said firmly before the adjacent room lit up in a golden light before she could hear Perseus starting to curse as Zoe realized that Ares and Athena must have flashed out.  
Zoe sat up on the couch nervously as she waited for Perseus to walk in. After another five minutes, she became impatient and got up before she slowly walked to the doorway where she peeked in and saw Perseus with his head in his hands, a pained look on his face.  
Zoe cleared her throat making Perseus head snap in her direction. His expression was a scowl but his eyes gave away his pain.  
"I'm sorry they brought you here. It wasn't my choice." Perseus said bitterly.  
Zoe wasn't sure what to say so she simply nodded.  
"Close your eyes and I will teleport you back to Olympus." Perseus said making Zoe's eyes widen.  
"Wait," Zoe said quickly. Perseus raised an eyebrow.  
"Can you explain what everyone is talking about? I don't understand what's going on and what my connection to you is. I remember that you brought me from the Garden of the Hesperides to the hunt but nothing else." Zoe asked hopefully.  
Perseus shook his head slowly, "I can't, and it's not my place to. All I will tell you is that your mistress has stolen years' worth of your memories just to cover up her own deception. If you want to learn more, you will have to ask her, I've moved on from that time in my life and have no interest in reliving painful memories." He said sadly.  
Before Zoe could argue, Perseus waved his hand as a shadow consumed her body as she vanished from her spot and reappeared on Olympus in front of the throne room doors.  
Zoe growled in frustration. The fact that the goddess she thought had been her best friend had lied to her for centuries filled her full of rage. Zoe carefully opened the throne room doors to see if Artemis was inside but saw the thrones of the Olympians were empty. She was about to close the doors and head to Artemis' palace when a gentle voice called to her.  
"He wouldn't tell you what happened, would he?" The warm voice called as Zoe's eyes followed the sound of the voice to the hearth where she found Lady Hestia sitting beside it in the form of an eight-year-old girl as she poked the coals of the hearth with a stick.  
Zoe quickly made her way over to the hearth and bowed to Hestia who just looked at her sadly.  
"Lady Hestia, do you know what happened?" Zoe asked hopefully.  
Hestia nodded her head, "I do but are you sure you would like to know?"  
"I do. I want to know why I've been lied to for thousands of years by the person I thought was my best friend." Zoe said in a determined tone.  
"Very well Zoe but you will not like what I tell you." Hestia warned.  
Zoe's face hardened, "I want the truth, all of it."  
"Do you know how most of the world believes Heracles is married to Hebe?" Hestia asked calmly.  
"Yes, but he is not. That is just what mortals believe." Zoe answered unsure of where this was going.  
"Yes but the story started somewhere. After he was made into a minor god, Zeus offered Heracles his half-sister Hebe as a wife. Heracles accepted as he thought marrying another goddess would help him improve his status on Olympus. But Hebe wanted nothing to do with Heracles or the marriage, begging her father to change his mind. But Zeus refused to budge. My brother is not a good father and refused to even listen to Hebe's pleas." Hestia explained bitterly.  
Zoe nodded, eager to learn how this was tied to her.  
"Hebe tried to convince her mother to help her and Hera did try but Zeus wouldn't listen to her either. He said Hebe should be honored to marry the greatest hero to walk the earth." Hestia said with disgust. "So Hebe went to the one person who would never turn his back on a sibling in need. Her half-brother Perseus."  
Zoe's eyes widened, starting to guess what happened from there.  
"Perseus took his half-sister from Olympus, hiding her from both Heracles and their father. No matter what Zeus threatened, Perseus refused to budge. He offered everything he could think of as a compromise to his father but Zeus was too stubborn to listen. After a few weeks, Heracles eventually found where Perseus had hidden her. He tried to take her back to Olympus but when she refused, he struck her. Perseus arrived shortly afterward and well I won't discuss what happened but it was not pretty. Heracles barely survived despite the fact that he was immortal. When Zeus discovered what happened, he brought Perseus in front of the council to have him punished. No one thought anything of it since Perseus was beloved by the all of Olympus; a caring brother and beloved nephew to all the Olympians. But when Zeus called for a vote, they banished him in a vote of 6-5. The deciding vote was his sister and best friend Artemis." Hestia finished sadly.  
"WHAT!" Zoe yelled. "She would never do that. She hates that vile scum." Zoe argued but she knew Hestia wouldn't lie about it.  
"And that my dear is one of the biggest mysteries. No one knows why Apollo and Artemis voted to banish their own full-blooded brother.  
Zoe scowled but looked confused, "If Perseus was banished, then why didn't Zeus force Hebe to marry Heracles?"  
"When the vote was over, Perseus vowed on the River Styx that if Heracles married Hebe he would tear Olympus to the ground until he found Heracles. And that he would cut him up into little pieces and cast him into Tartarus like Zeus did to Kronos." Hestia explained as her expression morphed into one of pride.  
Zoe's eyes widened but she smiled a bit at his vow. She suddenly understood why she and Perseus could have friends after all.  
Hestia smiled at Zoe, "Yes he is quite a rare find. He possessed all the good qualities of men but none of the faults." She said before frowning, "Of course that was before Artemis and Apollo betrayed him. The true Perseus is still in there locked behind years of pain and anguish."  
Zoe stared at Hestia in shock, "From the only memory I have, Perseus and Artemis seemed to love each other. He was even loved by the hunters."  
Hestia sighed, "You don't remember Zoe, but Artemis and Percy were as close as I've ever seen siblings be. I mean they were inseparable. The moment Perseus was brought to Olympus as a child god; he followed his big sister around everywhere she went. As Perseus grew up, the two were best friends and constant companions. Percy spent most of his time travelling with Artemis and her hunters, which worked out well as their domains were even in sync with each other. The moon and night go hand-in-hand, always together just like Perseus and Artemis."  
Zoe was in shock, "I understand why everyone is mad at Artemis but what does this have to do with me?"  
Hestia expression was pained as she looked at Zoe sadly, "Because Perseus was the love of your life and you his."  
Zoe's eyes widened and she gasped, "B… B… But I was a huntress, forbidden to love. How is that possible?"  
Hestia chuckled at Zoe's shock, "It took a few centuries for you two to finally admit it but when you did, I don't think I've ever seen someone as happy as Perseus; Artemis as well. Her two best friends were in love and she couldn't have been happier. She made an exception to her rule just for you and Perseus since she considered Perseus a member of the hunt anyway."  
Zoe was speechless, "Why don't I remember this?" She asked bitterly.  
"Your memories were stolen by Hera but she was forced by Zeus. Even Hera liked Perseus, the one child of Zeus and another woman she liked. Zeus forced her to take all your memories of you and Perseus together as well as the memories of the hunters who knew Perseus. He then manipulated the mist to make it look like I gave up my throne to Dionysus to avoid conflict within the council." Hestia explained in a surprisingly angry tone.  
"You were never an Olympian?" Zoe asked confused.  
"No I was but I chose to give up my throne to Perseus centuries earlier. He was my favorite nephew and I loved him dearly. I knew he would make an excellent Olympian so I was content to take my place at the hearth and watch Perseus become a great god." Hestia said a tear fell from her eye.  
Zoe watched the usually happy and peaceful goddess Hestia weep quietly as her heart filled with anger and betrayal. This was Artemis' fault, all of it. She acted like Zoe's best friend for millennia but it had been a lie. She stole centuries of her life away from her and then lied about it.  
Hestia noticed Zoe's angry expression and put grabbed her hand softly, "I am sorry you had to learn about this in such a way."  
Zoe frowned, "It is not your fault Lady Hestia. It is Artemis'."  
Hestia paused for a second, "Before you pass judgment of your mistress too quickly, I must tell you I do not blame Artemis for what happened to her brother."  
Zoe looked at Hestia in shock, "How? She betrayed her own brother for that worthless demigod Heracles."  
"But doesn't that seem strange? Artemis despises men and Heracles was the embodiment of the characteristics in men she hated." Hestia asked.  
Zoe nodded, "You think she was forced?"  
Hestia sighed, "I truly do not know Zoe. I have always believed there was more to the story than what we know but whatever happened it is a closely guarded secret."  
Zoe frowned. She was still furious with Artemis but Hestia made a valid point. There had to be more to the story than what they knew. Zoe frowned as she about what happened to Perseus. She may not remember their time together but she couldn't deny the fact that when she saw him in Maine, something stirred inside her that she had not felt in millennia. Then another thought occurred to her.  
"Lady Hestia," Zoe asked. "You said Perseus was beloved by all the council. Why did the others vote for his banishment as well?"  
Hestia scowled, "I assume Hera was forced to do so by Zeus. The other two to vote for his banishment were Aphrodite and Hephaestus."  
"But why?" Zoe asked.  
"Because Aphrodite is a heartless and selfish goddess who cares for no one but herself." Hestia said bitterly. "She spent centuries trying to lure Perseus into her bed but never could. He was the only male Olympian who refused her and she took her revenge on him when Zeus asked for his banishment. I assume she convinced her husband to vote for his banishment as well despite the fact that Perseus always had a good relationship with Hephaestus."  
Zoe's eyes flashed with anger, "That slut." She growled.  
Hestia chuckled, "My thoughts exactly my dear."  
The two sat in silence for minute staring into the flames of the hearth before Zoe spoke again.  
"So the gods thought that by returning my memories of Perseus he would come to their aid with the war against the Titans?" She asked.  
Hestia smiled a bit, "Actually it was I who suggested the idea."  
Zoe's eyes widened but Hestia's smile grew, "I did not do it for them. I did it for him as well as you. I kept watch over my nephew after his banishment. He went to the island of Delos to live with his mother but it only helped to lessen the pain of betrayal and a broken heart. Before Leto faded, I told her to find someone to look after her son. She asked Nyx to watch over him but she almost didn't reach him in time. He was minutes from fading himself when Nyx found him and saved him. Although his new family helps to lessen the wounds of the betrayal, he still suffers from a broken heart. Whether he helps Olympus or not is up to him but my nephew needs you in his life. He is a shell of the man he once was. His shields are always up and he trusts no one but Nyx, Hades and a few of his new siblings."  
Zoe couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Perseus after he was banished. She wished to help but wasn't sure how she could.  
"But I don't remember him. I've spent thousands of years hating men; I don't think I can change now." She explained.  
Hestia smiled, "You simply don't remember yet. You will and you will understand then. You two were in true love and the heart never forgets that no matter how many years the brain has forgotten."  
Zoe nodded her head slowly, "But what do I do now? I don't remember Perseus yet and he didn't seem too interested in being around me. I would rather not be around Artemis either." She explained.  
Hestia nodded, "Well perhaps you and I should visit Perseus together. I think it has been far too long since I've spoken with my favorite nephew."  
Zoe looked at Hestia surprised but smiled, "Okay, thank you Lady Hestia."  
Hestia smiled warmly at her as she stood up and grabbed Zoe's shoulder as the two disappeared in a column of fire.


	4. Delos and a Prophecy

Ch. 4  
Zoe couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Perseus after he was banished. She wished to help but wasn't sure how she could.  
"But I don't remember him. I've spent thousands of years hating men; I don't think I can change now." She explained.  
Hestia smiled, "You simply don't remember yet. You will and you will understand then. You two were in true love and the heart never forgets that no matter how many years the brain has forgotten."  
Zoe nodded her head slowly, "But what do I do now? I don't remember Perseus yet and he didn't seem too interested in being around me. I would rather not be around Artemis either." She asked.  
Hestia nodded, "Well perhaps you and I should visit Perseus together. I think it has been far too long since I've spoken with my favorite nephew."  
Zoe looked at Hestia surprised but smiled, "Okay, thank you Lady Hestia."  
Hestia smiled warmly at her as she stood up and grabbed Zoe's shoulder as the two disappeared in a column of fire.  
Hestia and Zoe reappeared on a beautiful beach that didn't have a single soul on it.  
"Where are we?" Zoe asked confused.  
"The Island of Delos; this is where Perseus still lives. I thought this might be better than just popping in unannounced." Hestia explained.  
Zoe's eyes widened as she looked around, "This place is beautiful."  
Hestia looked around at the beach they were on before slowly shaking her head, "Perhaps at first but I highly doubt Perseus sees much beauty in his mother's prison." She explained.  
Zoe frowned, "Why does he still live here then?"  
"He lived here for many centuries with his mother and this is all he has left to remember her by. He loved his mother very much which is partly why he almost faded himself when she did. She was all he had left after everything else was taken from him." Hestia said softly as she led Zoe down the beach until she paused when they could hear the sound of swords clashing in the distance.  
Zoe's eyes widened as she looked at Hestia who was just smiling softly as she continued to walk down the beach at an even slower pace. After a couple of minutes, they reached a part of the beach that was mostly secluded. They saw Perseus sparing with two familiar looking children about ten yards away.  
They watched as Perseus defended himself against the two young demigods, taking his time and giving pointers as they worked on their skills with a sword. Perseus blocked the young boy before he spun and froze when he laid eyes on Hestia and Zoe. The young girl didn't notice his change and brought her sword across his arm drawing a deep gash that began to leak golden ichor.  
"Percy!" The girl cried worriedly, "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to…." She began before Perseus turned back to the girl and smiled.  
"Relax Bianca, it was my fault, I got distracted. But well done, you are getting better." He said to her as the boy lowered his sword and looked in Zoe and Hestia's direction before his eyes widened and he ran to his sister and dragged her behind Percy nervously.  
"What are you doing Nico?" She said annoyed until he pointed towards Zoe and Hestia. Bianca pulled her brother closer as Perseus smiled at them.  
"Relax guys, I told you no one would ever get to you when you're with me. But I'm afraid I need to send you back to your father until I deal with them. Tomorrow I will start to show you guys how to shadow travel." Perseus said before he snapped his fingers and a shadow engulfed the two demigods as they vanished.  
Perseus turned back to his two visitors with an expression that was devoid of any emotion. Zoe slowly followed Hestia as she walked closer to Perseus.  
"Of all the people on Olympus, I did not expect this from you Aunt Hestia." Perseus said a bit angrily.  
Hestia frowned, "Expect what? For me to come and visit my favorite nephew because I have missed him since we last spoke."  
Perseus shook his head, "No. To come see me as Zeus' little messenger trying to convince me to help out the Olympians, something I would rather die than do."  
Hestia' face darkened as her body shifted into one of a woman in her early forty's as she walked over to Perseus silently. When she reached him, her hand quickly reached up and grabbed his ear drawing a pained yelp from the much larger god.  
"How dare you think I would ever do that to you? I love you like a son and you treat me like a stranger." Hestia yelled.  
"Ouch. Damn it Aunt Hestia, I'm sorry." Perseus whined making Zoe bite back a laugh at his look. He looked like a little boy being scolded by his grandmother.  
"Don't you use that language with me Perseus. I have never had anything but your best interests at heart and you still think me that low?" Hestia growled.  
Perseus winced as she continued to tug on his ear and dragged him back towards Zoe.  
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Perseus said quickly.  
Hestia paused and looked back at Perseus as if trying to determine if his apology was sincere. After a few more seconds she released his ear, "Apology accepted but don't you dare accuse me of something like that again." She warned.  
Perseus frowned, "Fine but I hope you're going to explain why you're here."  
Hestia nodded, "Yes but this old goddess would like to sit down; perhaps we could do this inside?"  
Perseus sighed and dissolved in shadows making Hestia smile as she made her way over to Zoe who frowned, "Lady Hestia, maybe this isn't a good idea. He doesn't seem very pleased to see us."  
Hestia waved her hand dismissively, "He is just cautious. He's scared to let anyone back into his life as he thinks they will hurt him. I know my nephew; he is happy you're here but doesn't know how to react yet."  
Zoe frowned again but nodded as Hestia grabbed her shoulder as they teleported to Perseus' palace on the island. They reappeared inside his living room where Perseus was already seated in a chair. When they arrived he stood up and gestured to the couch for them to sit down before sitting back down himself. His expression was a combination of agitated and nervous despite trying not to show it.  
Hestia smiled at him, "I see you've taken a liking to Hades' children."  
Perseus shrugged, "Uncles Hades was always there for me and they are good kids, they're family. They need to be ready for whatever comes after the downfall of Olympus. I don't expect Kronos to keep his word about leaving the mortals and those of us who were neutral in peace."  
Zoe's eyes widened, "What do you mean after the downfall of Olympus? You think the Titans will win?"  
"I don' think, I know." Perseus said in a casual, seemingly carefree tone.  
"And you're okay with that? With all the gods being destroyed?" She asked in disbelief.  
Perseus frowned, "Why would I care? I offered the ones who I care about a chance to leave the rest and join me. In the end, it's not my problem though."  
Hestia shook her head at Zoe before she could reply making the angry huntress bite her tongue.  
"We did not come to talk about the war Perseus. I brought Zoe here because I won't let you pretend you don't care anymore. You try to hide it but I see it clear as day." Hestia said seriously. “You are not made of stone. No matter what kind of face you put on for the world I will always see the truth in you.”  
"Don't. I'm not going there Aunt Hestia. That life is over and I have a new life and a new family now." Perseus said coldly.  
Hestia frowned, "And what happens when Zoe remembers everything that happened? Will you turn your back on her like your father and siblings did to you?" She asked.  
Perseus scowled but shook his head, "I'm not like them," he growled. "I would never do what they did to me to her."  
Hestia smiled, "Good. Then you can bring her back to Olympus later. I will let you two spend a few hours catching up."  
Perseus eyes widened but before he could protest Hestia disappeared into a column of fire. Perseus scowled at the spot she vanished from before he looked over at Zoe who was also glaring at the spot where Hestia had been, obviously not knowing Hestia had planned to leave her there.  
Perseus sighed, "I'm sorry about all of this."  
Zoe looked at him confused, "You obviously didn't know she would do that, I'm sorry gods keep leaving me her when you don't want them to."  
Perseus frowned, "It's not that I don't want to talk to you…. It's just not easy after so long. And you don't even know me so that just makes it kind of weird."  
Zoe nodded, "I do remember when you knocked out Heracles," she said trying to ease the tension as she smirked. "That was pleasant memory to get back."  
Perseus scowled, "I should have killed him then and there while he was still a demigod. I knew he was useless."  
Zoe smiled before looking at Perseus curiously, "Why were you there anyway? I mean what I remember is that you just kind of walked out of the woods and confronted him." She asked.  
"Zeus asked me to watch over him on his labors behind Hera's back. As God of Heroes it was technically my responsibility even if he hardly qualifies for the title of hero." Perseus said bitterly. "But when I saw what he did to you, I couldn't just sit back and not do anything."  
Zoe gave him a small smile, “Thank you. I’m not sure what would have happened to me if you weren’t there. You saved me that day.”  
Perseus looked at his strangely before he chuckled, "No I didn't. If there is one thing I know about you it's that you can take care of yourself. You would have found your own way; I just gave you an easier option." He said seriously.  
Zoe looked at him surprised but smiled at his words. Then her expression turned serious, "Were we really best friends?"  
Perseus' eyes widened before he nodded, "You were the best friend I've ever had."  
"But what about Art…" She began but stopped when she saw Perseus tense up. "Sorry."  
Perseus nodded but stayed a little tensed up as he thought about his sister.  
"Perseus, Hestia told me we used to….." She said nervously before looking at Perseus' red face as her eyes widened, "How long?"  
Perseus looked away, "A couple of centuries," he said sadly. "But that was a very long time ago."  
Zoe nodded but she couldn't shake the feeling of sadness at his words.  
"How did it happen? I mean I was a hunter and you were a god. Why didn't you just marry a goddess, or have a bunch of demigods like every other god does?" Zoe asked.  
Perseus continued to look away, "Does it matter?"  
Zoe frowned, "It does to me. I may not remember it but if I loved you then I want to know why."  
Perseus shrugged, "I just didn't want to. I was the God of Heroes and I watched how much it hurt demigods to not know their parents. How could I do that to them? Besides, that was a long time ago, how do you know I haven't had demigods since then?"  
Zoe glared at him, "I listened to your conversation with Ares and Athena. He said you've never dated anyone since it happened."  
Perseus glared back at her but before he could respond, a golden light appeared in Perseus' living room making Zoe shield her eyes.  
Before she opened her eyes she heard Perseus growl loudly, "How dare you show your face here?"  
Zoe opened her eyes and was shocked to find Apollo standing in the middle of the room with his arms up, "Look Percy…." He started before Perseus tackled him to the ground.  
Before Apollo could react Perseus threw a few heavy handed punches into Apollo's face, his face will filled with rage.  
"You're going to regret showing your face here you son of a bitch." Perseus growled as he continued to punch Apollo.  
Zoe was frozen as she watched Perseus attack his brother but after a few more punches, Perseus was sent flying when a blast of golden energy hit him in the chest.  
"Perseus!" Zoe cried as he went flying into the wall making a huge crater in it.  
He was already on his feet when Zoe reached his side, "Go outside Zoe. Apollo is about to die." Perseus growled, his body already starting to glow a bit as he struggled to contain his true form.  
Zoe's eyes widened as she backed away but Apollo yelled before she could leave.  
"Wait! I didn't come to fight you. I need to speak to Zoe." Apollo pleaded as he looked at his brother fearfully.  
Zoe looked at Apollo confused. She looked back at Perseus and saw him struggling to control his anger. She looked at him pleadingly, "Perseus, please just let him say what he has to. You can kill him after I really don't care but let him speak first, please."  
Perseus' eyes finally left Apollo as he looked down at Zoe, "Fine," he growled. "But he better be gone in the next two minutes." He said as his eyes turned back to his brother with a look that promised death.  
Apollo's face was filled with pain as he looked at Perseus before Zoe snapped her fingers in front of his face angrily, "This better be important Apollo."  
He looked down at Zoe as his face became panicked, "Artemis has been captured. I need you to lead the quest to find her. You must go to Camp Half-Blood and ask my oracle how to find her." He pleaded.  
"What happened?" Zoe asked quickly.  
"We think she was captured by the Titan's forces." He said nervously.  
Zoe glanced back at Perseus with apologetic look, "Fine I will go Apollo."  
Apollo nodded before looking at Perseus, "This would be easier if you just got Nemesis or Morpheus to tell us where they have her."  
"I would never betray my siblings." Perseus growled, "Your time is up Phoebus Apollo. Get the fuck out of my house."  
Apollo just looked at Perseus sadly before vanishing in a flash of golden light.  
Zoe looked back at Perseus trying to read his emotions but he kept up an emotionless façade.  
"I'm sorry but I can't leave her to suffer if I know I can help." Zoe explained expecting him to be upset but instead he just smiled, "I know. I will send you back to Camp Half-Blood now."  
"I'm sorry we didn't get to talk more. Maybe after we find her we can talk again." Zoe said tentatively.  
Perseus nodded, "That would be nice."  
"Um, how would I find you?" Zoe asked confused.  
Perseus smiled, "I'm always around Zoe, even when you don't think I am."  
Zoe raised an eyebrow and gave him a confused look.  
"I am the night Zoe. Over all these centuries whenever she would leave to drive her moon chariot, I always watched over you and the hunters, you just didn't know it." He explained quietly.  
Zoe's eyes widened, "Why?"  
"Because you, Phoebe, Diana, and Victoria meant a lot to me. Even if you didn't remember me it didn't mean I forgot about you." He said sadly.  
Zoe looked at him in shock, "You've been there for thousands of years and never said anything?"  
Perseus laughed a humorless laugh, "Say what? Hey girls, you don't remember me but we used to be friends before my bitch of a sister stabbed me in the back and my asshole father forced his wife to steal half of a millennium worth of your memories but I miss you guys?" He asked sarcastically.  
Zoe looked at him sadly but before she could speak he just smiled sadly, "It's all in the past now. Maybe I'll get to see you again sometime in the next two thousand years." He said as he waved his hand was Zoe was engulfed by a shadow.  
Zoe cursed when she reappeared in front of the big house at Camp Half-Blood. Her time spent with Perseus had not ended well. She didn't know why it bothered her so much considering she hardly remembered anything about him but the thought of not seeing him again for thousands of years worried her.  
She shook her head of those thoughts as she had to worry about rescuing Artemis now. Even if at the moment she wanted nothing to do with her, she believed Hestia when she said there had to be a reason for Artemis betraying Perseus, especially if it was over that scumbag Heracles.  
Zoe walked into the big house as Chiron met her at the door.  
"Apollo explained why you are here Zoe. The hunters are already inside your cabin waiting for you to seek a prophecy from the oracle." Chiron explained.  
Zoe nodded and made her way to the attic where she paused when she laid eyes on the mummified corpse of the oracle. She steeled her nerves as she approached, "How do I rescue Lady Artemis?" She asked as confidently as she could.  
At first the oracle was silent making Zoe think that there was no quest to save her but the oracle suddenly tensed and her eyes began to glow. She opened her mouth a green smoke began to pour out and she spoke but it sounded like multiple voices speaking at once,  
"Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,  
One shall be lost in land without rain,  
The betrayed Olympian shows the trail,  
Campers and Hunters combined prevail,  
Returned to hunters the memories taken  
Or hope of rescue shall be forsaken"  
The oracle said before her body relaxed. The green smoke dissipated and her eyes dimmed as she became just as lifeless as when Zoe first walked into the room.  
Zoe's mind was racing at the words of the prophecy; someone was going to die and it would need to be a quest of both hunters and campers.  
It was clear they needed the help of Perseus who she doubted was likely to be willing to do anything to help Artemis be rescued. She slowly made her way down from the attic and back to Chiron where she was surprised to find Apollo looking pale white along with Dionysus who had his usual uncaring expression on his face.  
"I know what the prophecy said," Apollo explained as he looked at Zoe pleadingly, "You have to convince him to help you."  
Zoe narrowed her eyes at the sun god, "What do you expect me to do? He won't listen to me."  
"Yes he will, you two were going to…ughh…." Apollo began before a shadow appeared in front of him, an arm wrapped around his throat as it slowly solidified into the body of Perseus who was looking at Apollo with barely controlled rage.  
"Say another word and I swear on the Styx it will be the last you ever speak." He growled in scarily angry tone. Thunder rumbled over head as he continued to hold his brother by the throat.  
"O… O… Okay." Apollo chocked out before Perseus shoved him back and released him.  
"You can't be here. This is my camp and my domain." Dionysus said indignantly as he set his wine magazine down.  
Perseus turned and walked toward Dionysus until he was only a foot away before he took a quick like step like he was about to attack the wine god making Dionysus flinch and topple over backwards in his chair.  
"Your domain is at the bottom of a bottle of booze; I suggest you shut your mouth and let the adults talk." Perseus spat.  
Dionysus climbed to his feet as his eyes burst in purple flames but stopped when thunder rumbled loudly overhead. He glared at Perseus was vanished in a flash of purple light.  
Perseus turned to Chiron who was looking at him nervously. Perseus glared at the old centaur, "Don't just stand there, get that old horse's ass of yours over here and give an old friend a hug." Perseus said with a smile.  
Chiron's wariness vanished before he smiled and embraced Perseus in a tight hug, "It's been far too long my old friend."  
Perseus smiled, "I have missed you over the years Chiron."  
Zoe cleared her throat making Perseus and Chiron look at her, "Why are you here Perseus?" She asked confused.  
"I am still God of Heroes and hunters are still heroes; I know all prophecies they receive. I am here to inform Phoebus Apollo here to go look for his sister himself as I have no interest in showing the quest any trail anywhere to find his sister." Perseus explained seriously.  
"Zeus requests and audience with you on Olympus," Apollo said nervously. "He promises to not try to attack you."  
Perseus looked at Apollo in shock before he burst out laughing, "That's funny actually. Does he really think I would even consider helping him or you or her? Go back to Olympus and tell Zeus to shove his invitation right where his favorite son doesn't shine."  
"Perseus…. Please." Apollo begged but Perseus just glared at him before Apollo vanished into a golden light.  
Perseus turned back to Chiron, "I am sorry we couldn't catch up but I believe I've overstayed my welcome in Olympian territory and I have a feeling drama queen might throw a temper tantrum any second now."  
Chiron shook his head sadly before two more flashes of light appeared beside them as Ares and Athena flashed into the big house.  
"The answer was no to Apollo and it won't change just because I like the two of you." Perseus said seriously.  
"Just come to Olympus. No one is trying to make you do anything but just hear him out." Ares said pleadingly.  
Perseus glared at him before he shrugged, "You know what? I will. I think it will be nice to listen to him plead for my help before I tell him to sit on his bolt."  
Without warning, the three gods vanished from the big house leaving Zoe looking at Chiron with a confused expression.  
Chiron smiled at her, "Don't worry my dear, he will help."  
"What do you mean? No he won't." Zoe replied.  
Chiron chuckled, "He will because it involves you. We will have a meeting here in thirty minutes for the quest so you should bring a few of the hunters with you as you will need to pick your companions."


	5. Off to Save the Goddess!

Ch. 5  
Perseus turned back to Chiron, "I am sorry we couldn't catch up but I believe I've overstayed my welcome in Olympian territory and I have a feeling drama queen might throw a temper tantrum any second now."  
Chiron shook his head sadly before two more flashes of light appeared beside them as Ares and Athena flashed into the big house.  
"The answer was no to Apollo and it won't change just because I like the two of you." Perseus said seriously.  
"Just come to Olympus. No one is trying to make you do anything but just hear him out." Ares said pleadingly.  
Perseus glared at him before he shrugged, "You know what? I will. I think it will be nice to listen to him plead for my help before I tell him to sit on his bolt."  
Without warning, the three gods vanished from the big house leaving Zoe looking at Chiron with a confused expression.  
Chiron smiled at her, "Don't worry my dear, he will help."  
"What do you mean? No he won't." Zoe replied.  
Chiron chuckled, "He will because it involves you. We will have a meeting here in thirty minutes for the quest so you should bring a few of the hunters with you as you will need to pick your companions."  
Perseus reappeared on Olympus as the entire Olympian council minus Artemis was gathered and seated in their thrones.  
Perseus walked over to the spot between Demeter and Poseidon's thrones and bowed, "Uncle P, Aunt Demeter, it has been a long time."  
The two siblings smiled, "Please don't bow to us Perseus; we are not like our little brother over there." Demeter said with a smile as Poseidon nodded.  
Perseus smiled, "I bow to gods and goddesses who are my elders and have my respect. It still feels right to bow to the two of you." He said as Zeus' face was red with anger in his throne.  
Perseus continued to ignore Zeus and the rest of the Olympians as he walked towards Hermes throne as Hermes jumped down and met Perseus half-way and pulled him into a tight embrace.  
"I've missed you little brother." Perseus said with a grin.  
Hermes smiled and shoved Perseus playfully, "You're barely a decade older than me Perce."  
Perseus smirked and nodded, "Like I said, little brother. But it's been far too long since you came and visited."  
Hermes smiled sadly, "Sorry Perce, busy with deliveries as always."  
Perseus nodded but before he could respond, the sound of something metal clattering on the ground drew his attention as he turned just in time to be tackled by a blur of blonde hair as a small child-like goddess brought him to the ground in a hug.  
Perseus laughed, "Little sister."  
Hebe pulled her head back from his chest and smiled at him happily, "I'm older than you Percy."  
Perseus chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, "But you look so young it doesn't feel right to call you big sis."  
Hebe mock glared at him, "I'm goddess of youth. It goes with the domain." She said before planting a kiss on Perseus' cheek. "I've missed you so much Percy." She said sadly.  
Perseus nodded, "You can come see me whenever you want. Just sneak away from drama queen and his wife. You're always welcome in my home."  
Hebe nodded and let Perseus get back to his feet but she stayed at his side. Zeus glared at Hebe but she ignored him as Hera whispered some harsh words at Zeus and smiled at Hebe who nodded her thanks to her mother.  
Perseus sighed and looked at Zeus, "I really don't know what you expect to gain from this meeting. You're going to ask me to help rescue Artemis, I'm going to tell you to shove your bolt up your ass. Then you'll try to threaten me and I'll tell you a second time to shove your bolt up your ass and then you'll probably try to use your bolt against me and I'll just teleport away."  
Zeus opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out making Perseus smirk, "Exactly, so I think I'll skip the dramatics and leave now." He said as he turned around and was about to teleport away when Zeus finally spoke words that froze him.  
"Perhaps I shall just kill your little girlfriend since you're not going to help. Without your help, she is rather useless to me for finding Artemis." Zeus said with a smug smile from his throne.  
Perseus spun around before anyone could react and let loose a blast of godly energy at Zeus catching him in the chest and flattening him into his throne.  
Perseus looked at Hebe who was still at his side with wide eyes, "Find a shady spot Hebe, this is about to get dangerous."  
Before Hebe could react, Perseus waved a hand in front of her and she vanished as a shadow wrapped around Perseus covering him in pitch black armor with Anaklusmos held firmly in his right hand.  
Zeus recovered and jumped off his throne as armor appeared in place of the business suit he was previously wearing as he clutched with bolt so tightly his knuckles were white.  
"I'll just kill you like I should have all those years ago you insolent little bastard." Zeus growled as he charged at Perseus swinging his bolt like a sword as Perseus raised Anaklusmos and blocked.  
Sparks of electricity flew wildly as father and son exchanged blows while the other Olympians were too shocked to react.  
Perseus blocked another strike from Zeus and feinted a strike low before he slammed his fist into the nose of the King of the Gods causing ichor to pour from it instantly and sent him staggering backwards.  
Zeus stumbled back and raised his bolt before both he and Perseus were knocked to the ground as a colossal earthquake shook the throne room to its very foundations.  
Poseidon suddenly stood between the enraged father and son before he spun on his brother with a murderous look in his eyes as he leveled his trident at Zeus, "ENOUGH!" Poseidon bellowed.  
"You dare…" Zeus growled until Poseidon pushed the prongs of his trident into Zeus' throat.  
"Yes I dare. I will not let your arrogance get me and the rest of council killed." He spat. "How dare you threaten that girl? Haven't you taken enough from the two of them? This ends now brother. Whether he helps to find Artemis or not, you will not touch him or her ever again or I will tear you and your throne to pieces myself." He growled.  
Zeus stood gaping at his brother in shock and anger while Perseus walked over to Poseidon, "You should have just let me kill him Uncle P." He said glaring at his father.  
Poseidon shook his head, "Now is not the time for that Perseus, despite how much he may deserve it."  
Perseus nodded and was about to teleport out when Poseidon grabbed his arm, "Wait nephew." He said pleadingly.  
Perseus stopped and looked at his uncle questioningly.  
Poseidon sighed, "Is there no way you would consider helping the quest to find her. I know she deserves what happens to her but you know how crushed Zoe and the hunters will be. I'm not asking you to help Olympus in the war, just help with the quest in the way the prophecy calls for."  
Perseus stepped back as he looked around at the members of his family who didn't betray him.   
He was silent for a while but after a few minutes he sighed, "I will but I have a number of conditions that must be met."  
Poseidon nodded and Zeus glared at Perseus as he sulked his way back to his throne.  
"What are your conditions?" Hera asked in a kind tone.  
Perseus glared at her, "For one, no one who betrayed me tries to speak to me again." He said as he finished glaring at Hera whose face fell and turned back to Poseidon who nodded. "Hades has two demigod children who were found in Maine. I want the word of the council that no harm will come to them at the hands of or on the orders of anyone on Olympus. On top of that, the quest calls for five demigods; Hades daughter Bianca will be one of those five as she is skilled and needs real world experience. With her there, I will watch over the quest more closely. The prophecy says the hunter's memories must be returned as well and I want their memories returned but none are to remember what Zoe and I were. They can remember we dated and nothing else. Meet those terms and I will do as the prophecy wishes."  
Poseidon nodded, "Those are agreeable terms."  
Perseus nodded and looked at Zeus, "You're King of the Gods, you must make the oath on the River Styx about Hades children for it to bind the rest of them."  
"Nev…" Zeus began until Hera smacked him.  
"Do it you fool or your daughter is as good as dead." Hera yelled.  
Zeus scowled and glared at his wife before turning back to his estranged son, "Fine. We the council swear on the River Styx to never harm or be the cause of harm for either of Hades' spawn."  
Thunder rumbled overhead while Perseus glared at Zeus for his phrasing.  
"Council dismissed." Zeus growled as most of the council vanished from the throne room.  
Poseidon looked at Perseus gratefully, "Thank you nephew."  
Perseus shrugged, "I was going to do it anyway. At least this way I protected Hades' children." He said before chuckling, "And I got to break Zeus' nose."  
Poseidon chuckled, "Yes that was certainly worth the trip to Olympus." Thunder rumbled overhead as both Poseidon and Perseus flipped off the sky making them both laugh at their actions.  
"Take care of yourself nephew." Poseidon said before dissolving into a sea breeze.  
Perseus looked up and narrowed his eyes when he saw Hera was the only person left in the throne room standing about ten feet in front of him and looking at him shamefully.  
"Something on your mind Hera." Perseus asked with a controlled anger.  
Hera nodded her head slowly, "I just wanted to apologize Perseus. I made a big mistake…" She started until Perseus put his hand up to stop her.  
"You're about two thousand years too late Hera. I don't know why you betrayed me with the rest but I don't really care either. After I forgave you for banishing my own mother, just because your husband can't keep it in his pants, I don't know what I did to deserve being banished." Perseus said bitterly as turned around to walk out.  
"Please Perseus, I didn't have a choice." Hera said as he started to walk away.  
Perseus kept walking, "We all have choices Hera, you made yours and now you have to live with it. But thank you for helping to make my life miserable." He said before dissolving into shadows as Hera's shoulders slumped and a single tear fell from her eye.  
Line Break  
Zoe and Phoebe sat at the Ping-Pong table of the big house as the head counselors from each cabin slowly filed in and took their seats around the table.  
Chiron cantered into the room and looked at Zoe. "Now that everyone is here we can begin. Zoe please recite the prophecy." Chiron announced.  
Zoe recited the prophecy which earned a number of confused looks from everyone. Chiron stood up to speak, "I will explain the tale of who the "banished Olympian" the prophecy refers to is as I know there is only one other person in this room who remembers. Two millennia ago, another God sat on the Olympian Council. His name was Lord Perseus and he was the God of Heroes, Loyalty and Night. He was also the younger brother of Apollo and Artemis, another son of Zeus of Leto." Chiron explained earning gasps from everyone in the room. Thunder rumbled but Chiron ignored it.  
Zoe looked over at Phoebe to see her eyes glazed over. She waved a hand in front of her face but got no response. Before she could do anything else, Chiron began to speak again.  
"Around two thousand years ago, an incident occurred which led to Perseus being banished from Olympus and all records and memories of him washed from the history books and the minds of mortals. When Lord Zeus made his demigod son Heracles into a god, he offered him his daughter and Heracles' half-sister Hebe to him as a wife. Hebe though had no wish to wed Heracles. Perseus came to the aid of his sister and took her from Olympus, hiding her from both Zeus and Heracles. Heracles eventually found where Perseus had hidden her and a fight broke out between Perseus and Heracles that nearly got Heracles killed. When Zeus discovered what happened, he demanded Perseus be punished and brought him in front of the council. They voted to banish him in a 6-5 vote with the deciding two votes belonging to Artemis and Apollo his own full-blooded brother and sister."  
Everyone stood with jaws dropped at the story. They were brought back to reality when Phoebe slammed her fists into the ping pong table, cracking it right down the middle. Everyone stared at her wide-eyed.  
Before anyone could say anything, Phoebe got up and stormed out of the big house without a word to anyone.  
"It looks as if the prophecy has already begun. I believe Phoebe now remembers Perseus and now knows what happened to him. As I said, Perseus was Artemis' constant companion and spent a lot of time with the hunters. Phoebe, Zoe and a few others are still around from that time." Chiron explained sadly.  
The counselors' eyes turned to Zoe who sent a murderous glare at them making them quickly look away.  
Chiron looked at Zoe, "Who are the companions you will take on the quest?"  
Before she could answer two bodies solidified out of the shadows. Perseus and Bianca stood in the middle of the room as they counselors looked at the duo with confusion.   
Chiron smiled before looking at the confused campers, "This is Lord Perseus, God of Heroes, Loyalty and Night."  
The campers eyes widened and they all went to bow but Perseus shook his head, "Don't bow, I hate that crap. I'm here to inform Zoe that one of her companions will be Bianca here. I have agreed to help the quest as long as Bianca is brought along as a member."  
Zoe looked at Perseus surprised but she smiled, "Okay I can live with that. As for the others, I will take Phoebe and if they will come, I'd like to take Annabeth and Thalia."  
Thalia and Annabeth stared at Zoe wide-eyed.  
"Do you two accept the quest?" Chiron asked.  
The two demigods looked at each other before nodding numbly.  
Chiron smiled, "Good then the quest is set. The meeting is dismissed. All of you off to your cabins except for those on the quest."  
The rest of the counselors grudgingly nodded and left the game room until only Chiron, Zoe, Bianca, Annabeth, Thalia and Perseus remained.  
Zoe looked at Perseus gratefully, "Thank you Perseus."  
He nodded, "It's nothing. I worked it out on Olympus and now I will do my part of the quest." He said before looking confused, "Where's Phoebe?"  
Zoe smiled, "She remembers you now and, well… she got a little angry." She said gesturing to the broken Ping-Pong table in front of them.  
Perseus grinned, "I see she's the same hot-headed Phoebe."  
Zoe smirked and nodded, "You should go see her. She misses you."  
Perseus nodded, "Go find her, I'll be right behind you."  
Zoe nodded and left the room leaving just the three demigods and Perseus and Chiron.  
"Chiron, this is Bianca, daughter of Hades. She will need a room in the big house for the night. Could you show her to it I believe I have an old friend to go visit."  
"Of course Perseus." He said before leading Bianca out as Annabeth and Thalia followed while Perseus disappeared from the big house.  
Zoe walked through Camp Half-Blood in search of Phoebe until he heard the thudding of arrows coming from the archery range. When she reached it she saw Phoebe firing arrows at uncanny speeds. As she approached her, she was shocked to find tears in Phoebe's eyes.  
"Phoebe?" Zoe asked hesitantly.  
Phoebe paused for a second before resuming her aerial assault but at a slightly slower pace, "How could she?" She asked.  
Zoe scowled, "I don't know. I've saw him a couple of times earlier today."  
Phoebe stopped shooting and turned to Zoe, "H… How is he?"  
Zoe was about to answer until she saw a shadow descended silently behind Phoebe bringing a smile to her face. Phoebe looked at her confused until a voice spoke and she froze.  
"Well if you're so concerned why don't you turn around and ask me?" Perseus said with a smile.  
Phoebe's eyes widened and she dropped her bow before she spun around and charged at Perseus wrapping him up in a bone crushing bear hug.  
"Jeez Phoebe, I missed you too." Perseus said as Phoebe continued to crush him in a hug.  
After a minute, Phoebe finally let him go and smiled, "I can't believe you're here Percy."  
Perseus raised an eyebrow, "Phoebe, until ten minutes ago, you didn't even know I existed."  
Phoebe's face fell and Perseus was suddenly smacked in the back of the hard by Zoe who was glaring at him, "It's not her fault."  
Perseus smiled, "I know that, I was only joking. Trust me; I have missed her and all the hunters a lot over the years."  
Phoebe smiled, "So are you back now?" She asked hopefully.  
Perseus' smile faltered, "Back?"  
Phoebe nodded, "I mean now that Zoe remembers you, you'll be around more right?"  
Perseus looked away, "That was a long time ago Phoebe."  
Phoebe looked at him in shock, "But you two love each other. I may hate love but not with you guys and I know you two are supposed to be with each other."  
Perseus glanced at Zoe with a pained look before turning back to Phoebe and shaking his head, "I'm sorry." He whispered before he dissolved into shadows.  
Phoebe turned to Zoe confused, "Why did he leave?"  
Zoe looked at her sadly, "Phoebe, think about what this is like for him. We spent the last two thousand years without even knowing he was gone while he was forced to deal with it with all his memories. He had a rough time with it. He almost faded until he was rescued by Nyx. Now they are his family."  
Phoebe's jaw dropped before a deep scowl appeared on her face, "This is all Artemis' fault. She betrayed him and lied to us. I hope they never find her."  
Zoe winced knowing her request was not going to be easy, "We need to find her Phoebe. I'm leading the quest and I need you with me."  
"No way. I'm not risking my life for her. How can you be willing to do it? Don't you care that she took Percy away from you?" Phoebe asked in disbelief.  
Zoe frowned, "I… I don't remember him very much. All I remember is our first meeting when he brought me to the hunt."  
"What? Why do I remember everything and not you?" She asked confused.  
"I don't know." Zoe replied quietly.  
Phoebe nodded slowly before looking at Zoe seriously, "Don't let him get away again Zoe. You might not remember your time with him yet but I do and if you trust me then you'll listen to me. You have not been even half as happy in the last two thousand years as you were when you were with him."  
Zoe's eyes widened a bit but when she looked at Phoebe, it was clear she meant what she said.  
Line Break  
The five members of the quest were in Washington D.C. waiting for the next train that would take them west. Thalia and Annabeth had walked off toward the museums, Annabeth dragging Thalia along as fast as her legs could take her. The two huntresses and Bianca sat in a small coffee shop drinking coffee and eating pastries. They kept the conversation light as both Zoe and Phoebe were also deep in thought about the past. As the girls finished their coffees, Annabeth and Thalia came sprinting into the coffee shop with a panicked look on their faces.  
"We…..need… to …. go…..now." Thalia managed to get out trying to catch her breath.  
"Why?" Phoebe asked.  
"Luke…skeleton warriors...some guy called the General." Annabeth answered as she tried to catch her breath as well.  
Zoe paled at the mention of the General. Before anyone could say anything else, three skeleton warriors appeared in the entrance of the coffee shop. Mortals seemed unaffected, the mist probably showing them three normal soldiers in military fatigues.  
"Let's go! Out the back exit. We can try to lose them outside." Phoebe said snapping Zoe out of her thoughts.  
The five girls sprinted to the back exit, the skeleton warriors on their trail. The girls raced down the streets littered with museums in the Smithsonian Mall. Zoe turned back to see the three skeletons about a hundred yards back. She led the group into an ally before opening up a side door to the Air and Space Museum. They navigated their way through the museum before ending up in a room with exhibits of the first planes where they stopped to catch their breath and decide their next move.  
"We need to get back to train station. We only have twenty minutes until our train leaves." Bianca said pointing to the clock on the wall.  
Before anyone could agree with, the screams of mortals in the next room told them they were not out of the woods yet.  
"Look mommy, a kitty." Came the voice of a little girl.  
The girls looked toward the doorway to see a lion the size of a pick-up truck walking into the room.  
"The Nemean Lion, we need to get out of here." Annabeth announced but as soon as the words left her mouth a monstrous roar shook the room.  
"Shit. Split up, we need to distract it until we can find a way to kill it." Phoebe cursed as the monster stalked towards them.  
Annabeth, Bianca and Zoe ran towards a plane display to get higher ground. Phoebe pulled out a spear as did Thalia, along with her shield Aegis.  
The three girls stood atop an old plane display firing arrows at the beast but they just bounced off harmlessly. Phoebe and Thalia stood on each side of the lion, jabbing their spears towards it maw, trying to get past its impenetrable fur.  
Phoebe got up close and managed to land a blow to the lion's left eye, blinding the beast on that side. As Phoebe tried to retreat the lion swiped her with its giant paw. The strike sent Phoebe flying through the air. As she was about to painfully crash into a glass display, a shadow descended in front of her and Perseus appeared, catching her in his arms before she landed.  
"Tsk tsk Phoebe. I thought you would be able handle one little kitty." Perseus teased.  
Phoebe glared at him but a smiled was tugging at her lips, "Well if it's so easy Perce, then by all means."  
Perseus grinned as he set her down, "And I thought you would never ask." He said before snatching her spear out of his hand and calmly walking towards the Nemean Lion who was stalking towards Thalia as arrows bounced harmlessly off its impenetrable fur.  
Perseus began to grow until he stood at his godly height of fifteen feet as Phoebe's spear also grew in his hand.  
"Here kitty kitty kitty." Perseus said with a grin.  
The Nemean Lion stopped in its tracks and turned towards Perseus where it froze as it laid eyes on the god stalking towards it. The monster steeled its nerves and dropped into a crouch preparing to lunge.  
Perseus smiled as the monster lunged before he flipped the spear in his hand and swung it like a baseball bat catching the Nemean Lion in the jaw and sending it skidding across the ground. The monster lay on the ground unmoving as Thalia and Phoebe approached Perseus, Thalia with a look of awe and Phoebe with a huge grin on her face.  
"Damn Percy, I think you killed it." Phoebe announced loudly.  
Perseus smirked and shook his head, "Nope just knocked it out. Killing it would be direct interference on your quest while here I was simply defending myself on my sight-seeing tour through the Smithsonian Museum. Care to finish it off before it wakes it little sister?" He said looking at Thalia.  
Thalia's eyes widened and she looked at Perseus confused, "How?"  
Perseus rolled his eyes, "Its fur is impenetrable but I bet if you jammed that spear of yours down its throat with a little electrical boost, you'll do just fine."  
Thalia looked at Perseus in shock before she grinned, "Good idea."  
Thalia stalked up to the unconscious monster whose mouth was already hanging open and charged up her spear with electricity before thrusting it in the Nemean Lion's open mouth. The monster's limp body convulsed for few seconds before it began to dissolve until only a large lion's pelt remained.  
Thalia picked it up as Zoe, Annabeth and Bianca made their way over to the group.  
"It's not really my style." Thalia said as she eyed the pelt which had transformed into a large fur coat.  
Perseus grinned and snapped his fingers transforming the spoil of war into a black leather jacket that with a few chains hanging down the sides.  
Thalia's eyes widened and her jaw dropped before a huge smile crept onto to her face, "This is perfect, I love it!" She exclaimed. "Thank you Lord Perseus."  
Perseus smiled, "You do know that you're my little sister right? I may hate Zeus with a passion but that does not apply to everyone unfortunate enough to be one of his children. Call me Percy, we are family after all."  
Thalia's smiled grew and she nodded happily, "Thank you Percy." She said a little surprised that a god actually considered her his sister.  
Perseus nodded before his face turned serious, "You guys need to go. You're about to have company in 3… 2… 1." As Perseus reached one, five skeleton warriors appeared the doorway. Perseus waved his hand and the skeletons were engulfed by shadows, disappearing.  
"Whoa. What did you do to them?" Annabeth asked shocked.  
Perseus shrugged, "Just sent them back onto the street. They're on their way back now, so…" Perseus waved a hand and the five girls disappeared reappearing in a train car on a freight train.  
"Where are we?" Phoebe asked.  
"On a train heading west. Ride it as long as you can, it will bring you a good chunk of the way." Perseus explained.  
The girls looked around and saw they were in a train car filled with brand new cars.  
"Can't you get in trouble for breaking the ancient laws by aiding us on the quest?" Zoe asked speaking for the first time since Perseus arrived.  
"I'm only doing what the quest called for. I just happen to be an avid fan of aviation and was enjoying the exhibits at the museum when I was suddenly attacked by the Nemean Lion." He explained innocently. "Now I am doing what the quest called for by showing you girls the trail to her. You weren't going the right direction and now you are."  
The five girls all smiled at his explanation.  
"I can't stay long. I'm just here to set you in the right direction and provide you guys with a warm dinner. Speaking of that…" Perseus said before he snapped his fingers, producing six hot pizzas for them to eat.  
Phoebe opened a box and grinned, "Aw Perce, you remembered I'm a meat lover." She said pulling a piece of pizza with several types of meat as toppings.  
Perseus snapped his fingers again, "All the cars are unlocked now so you can sleep in them. It's not ideal but it's better than the floor."  
Perseus was about to leave but a hand on his arm stopped him. He looked to see Zoe looking at him with her volcanic rock black eyes that brought him back to a time he missed so dearly.  
"Can we talk for a minute? Please?" She asked softly.  
Perseus stared at her a minute before nodding. The two walked to the other side of the train car to get some privacy. When they stopped both were silent for a minute before Zoe broke it, "You don't have to help us you know. I can't ask you to help us rescue the person who betrayed you."  
Perseus looked at Zoe strangely before smiling, "I'm not doing this to help her at all. I'm here because despite how much I try not to, I still miss you. It may not seem like it's been that long to you but it's been two thousand long years since I've been able to talk to you. We may never get back what we had but I wasn't lying when I said you were my best friend. You were then and you still are and I prefer to be around my best friend as much as possible even if it is on a quest to save a person I hate with every fiber of my being." He said before smiling softly at her again and dissolving into shadows.  
Zoe frowned as she looked at the spot he disappeared from. She had wanted to talk to him more but she couldn't help but smile when she thought about his words before she walked back to the rest of the girls and grabbed a slice of pizza with a smile still present on her face.


	6. A Visit from the Goddess of Love

Ch. 7  
After almost a mile the group came across a giant junkyard. It stretched as far as they could see in both directions. Rather than go around they decided to go through it.  
About fifty yards in, Thalia stopped, looking closely at some of the things in the junkyard.  
"Hey, do you guys see this stuff? It's a bunch of celestial bronze and automaton parts." Thalia remarked surprised. She reached down to grab an old dagger but froze when she heard Zoe yell.  
"Don't touch anything!" Zoe yelled in a commanding tone. The three youngest members of the quest looked at her weird.  
"What? Why not?" Bianca asked.  
"We're in the junkyard of the gods. This is Lord Hephaestus' scrapyard. It is almost certainly rigged with traps to prevent anyone from touching his stuff." Phoebe explained somewhat nervously.  
"Yes, we need to get out of here as soon as possible. We are not safe here. Let's move. Just make sure not to touch a thing." Zoe explained in a serious tone.  
Just as the words left her mouth, a huge clash of metal was heard from behind them. A thirty foot automaton emerged from a mound of scraps.  
"Shit, who touched something?" Phoebe growled.  
Every put their hands up showing their hands were empty.  
Zoe began to curse loudly, "That bitch. We need to get out of here. Run!"  
The five girls began sprinting through the junkyard, but the giant automaton gained on them quickly. They could see the exit about fifty yards ahead of them. They ran together for a while but were separated when the path through the junkyard split in two different directions. Zoe, Bianca and Phoebe took off to the left while the other two went down a path to the right. The giant machine made no hesitation and followed Zoe, Bianca and Phoebe. As they neared the exit, the automaton managed to force Zoe away from the other two.  
Zoe turned to face the automaton as it stalked towards her making her backup until she was pinned with her back against a fence. The automaton raised it foot to crush her and Zoe closed her eyes awaiting her death.  
But she was suddenly shoved out the way. She opened her eyes to see Bianca standing in her place. She shut her eyes just as the automaton crushed her beneath it giant foot.  
"Noooo!" Zoe screamed as tears came to her eyes immediately. Unfortunately the giant realized Zoe was still alive and turned to crush Zoe with its other foot. She still had nowhere to run and knew her death was imminent. As the automaton raised its foot, Zoe heard the screech of metal. She opened her eyes to see the giant automaton being held back by a wall of black energy. Zoe's eyes widened before the automaton was suddenly flung backwards by the shadows holding it in place.  
Zoe felt herself consumed by shadows and reappeared next to Phoebe at the exit of the junkyard.  
"Where's Bianca?" Phoebe asked. But when she looked up at Zoe and saw the look in her eyes her head dropped and she pulled her friend into a hug.  
"She died a hero. She will reach Elysium." Phoebe whispered quietly.  
Zoe didn't reply, just hugged Phoebe tighter.  
After a minute Phoebe spoke up, "What happened to the automaton? I saw it flying through the junkyard before you just appeared next to me."  
"Percy." Zoe whispered sadly. Phoebe nodded; she didn't smile but she couldn't help but feel grateful that Percy managed to save Zoe.  
Suddenly a truck came flying down the road and came to a screeching halt in front of them. They were shocked to see Thalia behind the wheel, grinning like a maniac.  
"Get in. We have half a tank of gas. This is our ride as far as it'll take us." Thalia yelled.  
Phoebe and Zoe quickly hopped into the bed of the pickup. Annabeth opened the back window.  
"Where's Bianca?" She asked.  
Phoebe shook her head sadly while Zoe just stared ahead with a blank look on her face. Annabeth's face fell be before she nodded sadly and closed the window of the truck.  
The four girls drove throughout the night. Early the next morning they ran out of gas about a mile from the Hoover Dam. They decided they would head there and find some food before deciding their next move for getting to California.  
The four girls exited the truck with heavy hearts after Bianca had been lost in the junkyard of the gods. Zoe felt terrible. Bianca had died to save her life. She would have died anyway if Percy hadn't come to her rescue once again. More than she blamed herself, Zoe blamed Aphrodite.  
She was sure that Aphrodite must have convinced her husband to send the automaton after them. She was obviously upset with the way Perseus and Nyx had put her in her place and was trying to get her revenge against Zoe. The fact that the machine had zeroed in on Zoe right away made her even more sure Aphrodite was behind this.  
She couldn't help but smile when she thought about the next time Percy ran into Aphrodite and Hephaestus. She was sure there would be Hades to pay for sending the automaton after her right after Percy told her to back off.  
As the four remaining members of the quest reached the entrance to the Hoover Dam's tourist section, they were met by the screams of mortals from a few dozen yards away. As they looked for the cause, they heard more screams coming from the way they just came. They turned to see six skeleton warriors coming from each direction.  
Phoebe fired an arrow into the skull of one of the warriors. It crumbled to the ground, only to rise again a few second later.  
"Shit, how do we kill these things?" Phoebe cursed when the warrior rose again.  
Thalia concentrated until she felt a familiar tug in her gut as she focused on her most useful power. The sky darkened and thunder boomed as lightning stuck one of the warriors directly in the head blasting it to pieces in an instant. The girls began to panic when the warrior rose up again, blackened from the strike but otherwise unharmed.  
"Any ideas brain?" Thalia asked Annabeth worriedly.  
Annabeth's mind flew through different ideas but each was just as useless as the last. "I don't know. Maybe we should run." Annabeth said panicking.  
The girls looked but the warriors had formed a circle around them, blocking off any chance to escape. As they began to lose hope, a black blur dropped from the sky, landing with a thunderous crash. The crash formed a small crater in the pavement and knocked the skeleton warriors off their feet.  
In the crater was a hooded figure down on a knee. When he rose, the hood fell off to reveal Percy's smirking face.  
"Need a hand ladies?" He asked playfully. Zoe and Phoebe smiled at his theatrics but Thalia and Annabeth looked at him in awe.  
Perseus hoped out of the crater with Anaklusmos in his hand. His movements were a blur of black as he sliced through warrior after warrior before he stopped a few seconds later. As the warriors started to reform, Perseus snapped his fingers and the warriors vanished, sent straight to Tartarus, ensuring a very long journey back to the surface if they ever made it.  
Zoe wasted no time in launching herself at Percy and tackling him in a hug. Phoebe was right behind her jumping on top of the surprised god.  
"I take it you guys missed me?" He asked playfully.  
Once he was on his feet, Phoebe punched him in the shoulder hard. She clutched her hand afterward in pain.  
"Jeez Perce, when do you get so solid?" She asked holding her hand. She had actually broken a knuckle.  
Percy laughed, "I didn't. I'm wearing armor underneath the cloak, hothead." He grabbed her hand and closed his eyes. Her hand glowed for a second before it was completely healed. Percy's hand now had a broken knuckle though.  
He quickly summoned some ambrosia and ate it, healing his hand quickly. Phoebe grinned at him. Zoe, Annabeth and Thalia looked at him in shock.  
"How did you do that?" Annabeth asked.  
"As God of Heroes, I can take the wound of those I care about onto myself in their place. It's far easier for a god to heal a broken hand than a mortal.  
Phoebe was the only one who didn't looked surprised, "You don't remember that Zoe?" She asked confused.  
Zoe shook her head but before she could respond, Annabeth spoke again.  
"Wait, what did you do with those skeleton warriors?" Annabeth asked, the curiosity eating her alive.  
Percy shrugged, "I sent them to Tartarus."  
Annabeth narrowed her eyes, "Then why not just do that instead of slicing them up first?"  
Percy chuckled, "Well where is the fun in that? It went well with my dramatic entrance."  
Thalia and Phoebe laughed at his explanation.  
"So what are you guys doing here anyway?" Perseus asked.  
"We ran out of gas about a mile back so we walked here to get some food before we figure out how to get to California." Thalia explained.  
Perseus nodded and snapped his fingers, "Actually I think if you check again, your truck has a full tank." He said smiling.  
Annabeth, Thalia and Phoebe smiled at him while Zoe leaned over and whispered something in his ear. He looked at her confused but nodded.  
"You three go get something to eat inside; I need to talk to Zoe for a minute." Perseus said as he held out his hand and a few crisp fifty dollar bills appeared in it. He handed the money to the three girls before they headed off for the visitor center of the dam.  
Perseus turned to Zoe with a questioning look.  
"Take a quick walk with me please?" She asked softly.  
Perseus nodded and followed Zoe as they made their way toward the wall of the dam that overlooked the lake created by the dam. Zoe sat on the edge, her feet dangling over the edge.  
Percy was a little confused but sat down next to her, waiting for her to speak.  
"I'm sorry about Bianca. She sacrificed herself to save me." Zoe said quietly.  
Perseus nodded, "She was very brave. I am sure she has no regrets."  
Zoe and bit her lip a little nervously, "I have more of my memories back now. They came to me after you left us on the train." She said softly.  
Perseus eyes widened, "What exactly do you remember?"  
"I remember how we started dating and everything that came before that." She replied quietly.  
Perseus nodded, "That was a long time ago Zoe, don't f…." He began but was interrupted by Zoe's lips crashing onto his. Perseus' eyes widened in shock but he couldn't deny how much he had longed for this moment over the years of his banishment as his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer as he relished in the feeling of finally having her lips on his again. Zoe's arms wrapped around his neck as the kiss deepened. She couldn't ignore how familiar and right it felt to kiss him again. She may only remember their first but she knew now what Phoebe meant about her and Percy as the only feeling in her mind was one of absolute bliss.  
When they finally broke apart, Zoe's face turned a bright shade of red, "Sorry, I …" She began but Perseus silenced her with a quick peck to the lips making her smile.  
"Don't apologize. You have no idea how hard it was to wait two thousand years to do that again." Perseus said seriously.  
Zoe's smile grew before it turned a bit sad, "I'm sorry that happened to you Percy. I'm sorry I forgot about you."  
Perseus smiled at her, "It doesn't matter anymore. I waited for this moment and I promise you it was every bit worth the wait."  
Zoe nodded and wrapped her arms around Perseus as she leaned her head on his chest, "What happens now Percy?"  
"Well for now you finish your quest to rescue her. After that, I don't really know. But I do know no matter what you do, I'm not going to lose you again." He explained seriously.  
Zoe looked up at him surprised but nodded, "I think that sounds pretty good." She said as she leaned up to kiss him again but froze when someone whistling behind them ruined the moment.  
"Percy you dog!" Phoebe said mischievously but her smile showed her happiness.  
Zoe glared at one of her best friends making Phoebe laugh at her angry face, "Oh relax Zoe, you know I love you guys."  
Zoe rolled her eyes as she and Perseus stood up from the edge of the dam, "Why are you here anyway?"  
Phoebe shrugged, "The other two were getting impatient about getting back on the road. I have to agree, we are wasting daylight."  
Perseus glared playfully at Phoebe, "You do realize that you would be much safer in my domain right?  
Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Of course Lord Perseus but not all us can see at night."  
Perseus chuckled, "Fair enough Phoebe but call me lord again, and I'll kick your ass."  
Phoebe smirked, "You could try but I'm more skilled than I was when he last sparred."  
Perseus rolled his eyes and turned to Zoe, "Be careful the rest of the way. If you guys need help, you only have to ask."  
Zoe smiled and nodded as Perseus dissolved into darkness. Zoe looked at Phoebe who was looking at her with a knowing smile, "So, I guess I was right?"  
Zoe glared at Phoebe, "Let's just get going, we need to make some good time."  
Phoebe smirked and began to make the trek down to the road where Annabeth and Thalia were waiting.  
After making the mile walk back to the truck, Zoe volunteered to sit in the bed of the truck while Phoebe drove and Annabeth and Thalia sat inside with her.  
About thirty minutes into the ride, Zoe began to regret volunteering to ride in the back as the early morning and wind made the ride chillier than she had anticipated.  
As she tried to take some cover behind the cab of the truck, a shadow descended on the other side of the truck bed until it solidified into Perseus who was smirking at her obvious discomfort.  
"You look miserable." He commented chuckling at her face.  
Zoe glared at him, "We're in Arizona. It's not supposed to be cold."  
"Actually we're in Nevada if you want to get it right," He replied before her glare intensified and he flashed a light jacket onto her body, making her glare change into a look of gratefulness.  
Perseus snapped his fingers again and the truck bed suddenly had a cap over it making Zoe's smile grow a bit, "Thank you, that is much better."  
Perseus grinned and snapped his fingers again as a couch appeared under Zoe making her jump up in shock.  
Perseus laughed at her startled face before he flashed himself over to the couch beside her, "It's a long drive to California still; I thought this would make it a little more comfortable."  
Zoe raised an eyebrow, "Isn't this interfering with the quest?"  
Perseus shrugged, "I don't see it that way. I see this as more like me needing a ride to California and catching a ride with some friends. You don't expect a god to ride on the floor of a truck bed do you?" He said as his lips quirked into a smirk.  
Zoe smiled, "We I guess that does make sense. So you're going to stay for the whole ride to California?" She asked hopefully.  
Perseus smiled, "It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to leave a lady all by her lonesome in the back of a truck would it?"  
Zoe smirked a laid down on the little couch with her head on Perseus' lap.  
"Make yourself comfortable Zoe." Perseus said dryly.  
"I plan on it actually and I don't see any pillows on this couch so I guess you will have to do." She said as she closed her eyes and relaxed.  
Perseus couldn't help but smile as he ran a hand through her long silky black hair, another thing he had missed over the time of his banishment. Despite how much he tried to stay bitter about what happened to him, he couldn't help but stop caring as much. He still hated Artemis and Apollo for what they did to him, but now that he had Zoe back, he just couldn't help but care a little bit less.  
Line Break  
Perseus gently shook Zoe who had fallen asleep with her head in his lap hours earlier and slept the entire trip to California. Perseus was fine with that. It felt good just to have her close again.  
Zoe's eyes opened before they widened when she looked at Perseus. Then the memories of the day returned to her as her expression shifted into a smile.  
"We're about five minutes from San Francisco and I can't go with you guys up to the mountain." Perseus said softly.  
Zoe nodded but bit her lip nervously, "We'll have to go through the Garden of the Hesperides to get up to Mount Othrys." She said nervously.  
Perseus nodded his head slowly, "I know it's not easy but you are happy with the life you have right?"  
Zoe nodded.  
"Then nothing they can say should matter. If they cared about you then they would be happy for you. You were meant for greater things than being a Hesperide Zoe. You're the greatest huntress Artemis ever had and you wouldn't have been able to do it spending eternity guarding that bitch Hera's stupid golden apples." He said seriously.  
Zoe smiled, "Thank you Percy; not just for what you said but reminding me why it was that I fell in love with you."  
Perseus grinned, "That is my job isn't it?  
Zoe rolled her eyes before she leaned up and kissed Perseus on the lips softly. When she pulled back he smiled at her and dissolved into shadows leaving Zoe alone in the bed of the truck.  
A few minutes later the back window of the truck opened up and Phoebe's grinning face poked out of the window, "Are you all alone now lover girl?" She teased.  
Zoe glared at her but nodded, "Why are we stopped? We need to get to the Garden of the Hesperides we want to get to Mount Othrys."  
Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Yup but we don't know where to go so we need you to either drive or tell us how to get there."  
Zoe mentally face palmed and nodded. She made to get out of the truck but stopped when she couldn't figure out how to get out. Before she could say anything, the cap of the truck and the couch she was sitting on vanished making her drop to the metal truck bed with the thump.  
Phoebe broke out laughing when she saw Zoe fall, "Oh my gods, that was hilarious! Nice one Percy!"  
Zoe growled under her breath, "He's dead next time I see him." She grumbled before climbing out of the truck and making Phoebe sit in the bed of the truck. She chuckled when the couch and cap reappeared making Phoebe let out an uncharacteristically girlish yelp.  
"Percy you're going to die when I see you!" Phoebe yelled to no one in particular.  
Zoe drove for another hour until the four girls finally reached an area where they could see Mount Tamalpais where Atlas was supposed to be trapped under his burden. They ditched their truck and began to make the trek on foot. As they continued their quest on foot, they noticed the mist was getting especially strong.  
"We are close." Zoe said, her voice tight.  
"What do you mean; the mountain is still pretty far off." Thalia said pointing toward the mountain a little farther in the distance.  
"Not the mountain. The Garden of the Hesperides is the first obstacle we need to get past." Phoebe explained as he saw Zoe tense at the name of her former home.  
"How can we get through? It is guarded by Ladon. We won't be able to get past him." Annabeth asked nervously.  
No one answered Annabeth's question as they weren't exactly sure how they were going to get past that particular obstacle yet.  
After a few more minutes the group made its way through the heavy sheets of fog and mist and entered in a beautiful meadow filled with shadows and flowers. It was dusk, the only time they could get into the garden. Annabeth and Thalia gasped when they laid eyes on the giant five-story-tall apple tree that glittered with golden apples.  
"The apples of immortality," Thalia said.  
Right after she spoke, Thalia and Annabeth both gasped again when they noticed the hundred headed dragon coiled around the tree.  
Shadows began to move and shift in front of the group. Four figures shimmered into existence that all looked very much like Zoe.  
"Sisters," Zoe said coldly.  
"We do not see any sister." One of the Hesperides spat back. "We see two half-bloods and two hunters all of whom shall soon be dead.  
"We did not come here to fight with you sisters. We need to reach the mountain so that we may rescue Artemis." Zoe said confidently.  
"You know he will kill thee," one of the Hesperides said. "You are no match for him."  
"Artemis must be freed," Zoe insisted. "Let us pass."  
The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our  
voices and Ladon will wake."  
"He will not hurt me," Zoe said sternly.  
"No? And what about thy so-called friends?" The girl pressed.  
Before Zoe could respond a golden light descended upon the garden. When the light cleared, the Queen of the Gods herself stood between the four members of the quest and the four Hesperides.  
All eight girls grudgingly bowed to Hera who waved them off and turned towards the four confused looking Hesperides.  
"You shall let them pass. They are not seeking one of the Apples of Immortality." Hera said sternly.  
One of the Hesperides was about to retort when one of her sisters grabbed her arm and stopped her before speaking herself, "As you wish Lady Hera but they will all fall by our father's hand soon enough."  
Hera glared at the Hesperides before they all shimmered out of existence just like they had arrived.  
Hera turned to the four girls from the quest, "Ladon will not bother you; you may pass."  
Zoe stepped forward with a confused expression, "Thank you Lady Hera but may I ask why it is that you are here?"  
A slightly pained looked appeared on Hera's face before she spoke, "Doing what little I can to rectify a mistake I made long ago. I am sorry for what I took from you." She said looking at Zoe and Phoebe. "Perseus did not deserve what happened to him and while I can't make it up to him, I can try to do what I can when I can." She explained before she began to glow as the four girls covered their eyes as Hera vanished from the garden.  
"Well that was… unexpected." Thalia said in shock.  
Zoe nodded, "Yes well Hera always did have a good relationship with Percy. I guess she is trying to make amends for voting for him to be banished."  
Thalia nodded and the four girls resumed their trek through the garden, taking extra care to skirt around Ladon and his tree as carefully and quietly as possible.  
The made their way up the mountain as quickly as they could until they finally reached their destination.  
At the top of mountain were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses; broken columns and statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.  
"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whispered in awe.  
"Yes," Zoe said. "It should not be here. This is bad."  
"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked.  
"In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was blasted to pieces when the gods defeated the Titans." Zoe explained.  
"But… how is it here?" Annabeth asked.  
Thalia looked around cautiously as they picked their way through the rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways.  
"It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, on this mountain, is not good." Zoe replied.  
"Why?" Thalia asked.  
"This is Atlas's mountain," Zoe said. "Where he holds—" She froze. Her voice was ragged with despair, "Where he used to hold up the sky."  
They had reached the summit. A few yards ahead of them, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains.  
Zoe and Phoebe gasped at the sight of their mistress in such distress forgetting all resentment they had previously held towards her.  
"My lady!" Phoebe cried as she and Zoe raced towards Artemis.  
"Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now." Artemis pleaded.  
Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat, the weight of the sky was clearly too much for Artemis.  
Zoe ran forward despite Artemis's protests, and tugged at the chains.  
"Ah, how touching." A booming voiced called from behind them.


	7. Junkyard of the Gods

Ch. 7  
After almost a mile the group came across a giant junkyard. It stretched as far as they could see in both directions. Rather than go around they decided to go through it.  
About fifty yards in, Thalia stopped, looking closely at some of the things in the junkyard.  
"Hey, do you guys see this stuff? It's a bunch of celestial bronze and automaton parts." Thalia remarked surprised. She reached down to grab an old dagger but froze when she heard Zoe yell.  
"Don't touch anything!" Zoe yelled in a commanding tone. The three youngest members of the quest looked at her weird.  
"What? Why not?" Bianca asked.  
"We're in the junkyard of the gods. This is Lord Hephaestus' scrapyard. It is almost certainly rigged with traps to prevent anyone from touching his stuff." Phoebe explained somewhat nervously.  
"Yes, we need to get out of here as soon as possible. We are not safe here. Let's move. Just make sure not to touch a thing." Zoe explained in a serious tone.  
Just as the words left her mouth, a huge clash of metal was heard from behind them. A thirty foot automaton emerged from a mound of scraps.  
"Shit, who touched something?" Phoebe growled.  
Every put their hands up showing their hands were empty.  
Zoe began to curse loudly, "That bitch. We need to get out of here. Run!"  
The five girls began sprinting through the junkyard, but the giant automaton gained on them quickly. They could see the exit about fifty yards ahead of them. They ran together for a while but were separated when the path through the junkyard split in two different directions. Zoe, Bianca and Phoebe took off to the left while the other two went down a path to the right. The giant machine made no hesitation and followed Zoe, Bianca and Phoebe. As they neared the exit, the automaton managed to force Zoe away from the other two.  
Zoe turned to face the automaton as it stalked towards her making her backup until she was pinned with her back against a fence. The automaton raised it foot to crush her and Zoe closed her eyes awaiting her death.  
But she was suddenly shoved out the way. She opened her eyes to see Bianca standing in her place. She shut her eyes just as the automaton crushed her beneath it giant foot.  
"Noooo!" Zoe screamed as tears came to her eyes immediately. Unfortunately the giant realized Zoe was still alive and turned to crush Zoe with its other foot. She still had nowhere to run and knew her death was imminent. As the automaton raised its foot, Zoe heard the screech of metal. She opened her eyes to see the giant automaton being held back by a wall of black energy. Zoe's eyes widened before the automaton was suddenly flung backwards by the shadows holding it in place.  
Zoe felt herself consumed by shadows and reappeared next to Phoebe at the exit of the junkyard.  
"Where's Bianca?" Phoebe asked. But when she looked up at Zoe and saw the look in her eyes her head dropped and she pulled her friend into a hug.  
"She died a hero. She will reach Elysium." Phoebe whispered quietly.  
Zoe didn't reply, just hugged Phoebe tighter.  
After a minute Phoebe spoke up, "What happened to the automaton? I saw it flying through the junkyard before you just appeared next to me."  
"Percy." Zoe whispered sadly. Phoebe nodded; she didn't smile but she couldn't help but feel grateful that Percy managed to save Zoe.  
Suddenly a truck came flying down the road and came to a screeching halt in front of them. They were shocked to see Thalia behind the wheel, grinning like a maniac.  
"Get in. We have half a tank of gas. This is our ride as far as it'll take us." Thalia yelled.  
Phoebe and Zoe quickly hopped into the bed of the pickup. Annabeth opened the back window.  
"Where's Bianca?" She asked.  
Phoebe shook her head sadly while Zoe just stared ahead with a blank look on her face. Annabeth's face fell be before she nodded sadly and closed the window of the truck.  
The four girls drove throughout the night. Early the next morning they ran out of gas about a mile from the Hoover Dam. They decided they would head there and find some food before deciding their next move for getting to California.  
The four girls exited the truck with heavy hearts after Bianca had been lost in the junkyard of the gods. Zoe felt terrible. Bianca had died to save her life. She would have died anyway if Percy hadn't come to her rescue once again. More than she blamed herself, Zoe blamed Aphrodite.  
She was sure that Aphrodite must have convinced her husband to send the automaton after them. She was obviously upset with the way Perseus and Nyx had put her in her place and was trying to get her revenge against Zoe. The fact that the machine had zeroed in on Zoe right away made her even more sure Aphrodite was behind this.  
She couldn't help but smile when she thought about the next time Percy ran into Aphrodite and Hephaestus. She was sure there would be Hades to pay for sending the automaton after her right after Percy told her to back off.  
As the four remaining members of the quest reached the entrance to the Hoover Dam's tourist section, they were met by the screams of mortals from a few dozen yards away. As they looked for the cause, they heard more screams coming from the way they just came. They turned to see six skeleton warriors coming from each direction.  
Phoebe fired an arrow into the skull of one of the warriors. It crumbled to the ground, only to rise again a few second later.  
"Shit, how do we kill these things?" Phoebe cursed when the warrior rose again.  
Thalia concentrated until she felt a familiar tug in her gut as she focused on her most useful power. The sky darkened and thunder boomed as lightning stuck one of the warriors directly in the head blasting it to pieces in an instant. The girls began to panic when the warrior rose up again, blackened from the strike but otherwise unharmed.  
"Any ideas brain?" Thalia asked Annabeth worriedly.  
Annabeth's mind flew through different ideas but each was just as useless as the last. "I don't know. Maybe we should run." Annabeth said panicking.  
The girls looked but the warriors had formed a circle around them, blocking off any chance to escape. As they began to lose hope, a black blur dropped from the sky, landing with a thunderous crash. The crash formed a small crater in the pavement and knocked the skeleton warriors off their feet.  
In the crater was a hooded figure down on a knee. When he rose, the hood fell off to reveal Percy's smirking face.  
"Need a hand ladies?" He asked playfully. Zoe and Phoebe smiled at his theatrics but Thalia and Annabeth looked at him in awe.  
Perseus hoped out of the crater with Anaklusmos in his hand. His movements were a blur of black as he sliced through warrior after warrior before he stopped a few seconds later. As the warriors started to reform, Perseus snapped his fingers and the warriors vanished, sent straight to Tartarus, ensuring a very long journey back to the surface if they ever made it.  
Zoe wasted no time in launching herself at Percy and tackling him in a hug. Phoebe was right behind her jumping on top of the surprised god.  
"I take it you guys missed me?" He asked playfully.  
Once he was on his feet, Phoebe punched him in the shoulder hard. She clutched her hand afterward in pain.  
"Jeez Perce, when do you get so solid?" She asked holding her hand. She had actually broken a knuckle.  
Percy laughed, "I didn't. I'm wearing armor underneath the cloak, hothead." He grabbed her hand and closed his eyes. Her hand glowed for a second before it was completely healed. Percy's hand now had a broken knuckle though.  
He quickly summoned some ambrosia and ate it, healing his hand quickly. Phoebe grinned at him. Zoe, Annabeth and Thalia looked at him in shock.  
"How did you do that?" Annabeth asked.  
"As God of Heroes, I can take the wound of those I care about onto myself in their place. It's far easier for a god to heal a broken hand than a mortal.  
Phoebe was the only one who didn't looked surprised, "You don't remember that Zoe?" She asked confused.  
Zoe shook her head but before she could respond, Annabeth spoke again.  
"Wait, what did you do with those skeleton warriors?" Annabeth asked, the curiosity eating her alive.  
Percy shrugged, "I sent them to Tartarus."  
Annabeth narrowed her eyes, "Then why not just do that instead of slicing them up first?"  
Percy chuckled, "Well where is the fun in that? It went well with my dramatic entrance."  
Thalia and Phoebe laughed at his explanation.  
"So what are you guys doing here anyway?" Perseus asked.  
"We ran out of gas about a mile back so we walked here to get some food before we figure out how to get to California." Thalia explained.  
Perseus nodded and snapped his fingers, "Actually I think if you check again, your truck has a full tank." He said smiling.  
Annabeth, Thalia and Phoebe smiled at him while Zoe leaned over and whispered something in his ear. He looked at her confused but nodded.  
"You three go get something to eat inside; I need to talk to Zoe for a minute." Perseus said as he held out his hand and a few crisp fifty dollar bills appeared in it. He handed the money to the three girls before they headed off for the visitor center of the dam.  
Perseus turned to Zoe with a questioning look.  
"Take a quick walk with me please?" She asked softly.  
Perseus nodded and followed Zoe as they made their way toward the wall of the dam that overlooked the lake created by the dam. Zoe sat on the edge, her feet dangling over the edge.  
Percy was a little confused but sat down next to her, waiting for her to speak.  
"I'm sorry about Bianca. She sacrificed herself to save me." Zoe said quietly.  
Perseus nodded, "She was very brave. I am sure she has no regrets."  
Zoe and bit her lip a little nervously, "I have more of my memories back now. They came to me after you left us on the train." She said softly.  
Perseus eyes widened, "What exactly do you remember?"  
"I remember how we started dating and everything that came before that." She replied quietly.  
Perseus nodded, "That was a long time ago Zoe, don't f…." He began but was interrupted by Zoe's lips crashing onto his. Perseus' eyes widened in shock but he couldn't deny how much he had longed for this moment over the years of his banishment as his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer as he relished in the feeling of finally having her lips on his again. Zoe's arms wrapped around his neck as the kiss deepened. She couldn't ignore how familiar and right it felt to kiss him again. She may only remember their first but she knew now what Phoebe meant about her and Percy as the only feeling in her mind was one of absolute bliss.  
When they finally broke apart, Zoe's face turned a bright shade of red, "Sorry, I …" She began but Perseus silenced her with a quick peck to the lips making her smile.  
"Don't apologize. You have no idea how hard it was to wait two thousand years to do that again." Perseus said seriously.  
Zoe's smile grew before it turned a bit sad, "I'm sorry that happened to you Percy. I'm sorry I forgot about you."  
Perseus smiled at her, "It doesn't matter anymore. I waited for this moment and I promise you it was every bit worth the wait."  
Zoe nodded and wrapped her arms around Perseus as she leaned her head on his chest, "What happens now Percy?"  
"Well for now you finish your quest to rescue her. After that, I don't really know. But I do know no matter what you do, I'm not going to lose you again." He explained seriously.  
Zoe looked up at him surprised but nodded, "I think that sounds pretty good." She said as she leaned up to kiss him again but froze when someone whistling behind them ruined the moment.  
"Percy you dog!" Phoebe said mischievously but her smile showed her happiness.  
Zoe glared at one of her best friends making Phoebe laugh at her angry face, "Oh relax Zoe, you know I love you guys."  
Zoe rolled her eyes as she and Perseus stood up from the edge of the dam, "Why are you here anyway?"  
Phoebe shrugged, "The other two were getting impatient about getting back on the road. I have to agree, we are wasting daylight."  
Perseus glared playfully at Phoebe, "You do realize that you would be much safer in my domain right?  
Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Of course Lord Perseus but not all us can see at night."  
Perseus chuckled, "Fair enough Phoebe but call me lord again, and I'll kick your ass."  
Phoebe smirked, "You could try but I'm more skilled than I was when he last sparred."  
Perseus rolled his eyes and turned to Zoe, "Be careful the rest of the way. If you guys need help, you only have to ask."  
Zoe smiled and nodded as Perseus dissolved into darkness. Zoe looked at Phoebe who was looking at her with a knowing smile, "So, I guess I was right?"  
Zoe glared at Phoebe, "Let's just get going, we need to make some good time."  
Phoebe smirked and began to make the trek down to the road where Annabeth and Thalia were waiting.  
After making the mile walk back to the truck, Zoe volunteered to sit in the bed of the truck while Phoebe drove and Annabeth and Thalia sat inside with her.  
About thirty minutes into the ride, Zoe began to regret volunteering to ride in the back as the early morning and wind made the ride chillier than she had anticipated.  
As she tried to take some cover behind the cab of the truck, a shadow descended on the other side of the truck bed until it solidified into Perseus who was smirking at her obvious discomfort.  
"You look miserable." He commented chuckling at her face.  
Zoe glared at him, "We're in Arizona. It's not supposed to be cold."  
"Actually we're in Nevada if you want to get it right," He replied before her glare intensified and he flashed a light jacket onto her body, making her glare change into a look of gratefulness.  
Perseus snapped his fingers again and the truck bed suddenly had a cap over it making Zoe's smile grow a bit, "Thank you, that is much better."  
Perseus grinned and snapped his fingers again as a couch appeared under Zoe making her jump up in shock.  
Perseus laughed at her startled face before he flashed himself over to the couch beside her, "It's a long drive to California still; I thought this would make it a little more comfortable."  
Zoe raised an eyebrow, "Isn't this interfering with the quest?"  
Perseus shrugged, "I don't see it that way. I see this as more like me needing a ride to California and catching a ride with some friends. You don't expect a god to ride on the floor of a truck bed do you?" He said as his lips quirked into a smirk.  
Zoe smiled, "We I guess that does make sense. So you're going to stay for the whole ride to California?" She asked hopefully.  
Perseus smiled, "It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to leave a lady all by her lonesome in the back of a truck would it?"  
Zoe smirked a laid down on the little couch with her head on Perseus' lap.  
"Make yourself comfortable Zoe." Perseus said dryly.  
"I plan on it actually and I don't see any pillows on this couch so I guess you will have to do." She said as she closed her eyes and relaxed.  
Perseus couldn't help but smile as he ran a hand through her long silky black hair, another thing he had missed over the time of his banishment. Despite how much he tried to stay bitter about what happened to him, he couldn't help but stop caring as much. He still hated Artemis and Apollo for what they did to him, but now that he had Zoe back, he just couldn't help but care a little bit less.  
Line Break  
Perseus gently shook Zoe who had fallen asleep with her head in his lap hours earlier and slept the entire trip to California. Perseus was fine with that. It felt good just to have her close again.  
Zoe's eyes opened before they widened when she looked at Perseus. Then the memories of the day returned to her as her expression shifted into a smile.  
"We're about five minutes from San Francisco and I can't go with you guys up to the mountain." Perseus said softly.  
Zoe nodded but bit her lip nervously, "We'll have to go through the Garden of the Hesperides to get up to Mount Othrys." She said nervously.  
Perseus nodded his head slowly, "I know it's not easy but you are happy with the life you have right?"  
Zoe nodded.  
"Then nothing they can say should matter. If they cared about you then they would be happy for you. You were meant for greater things than being a Hesperide Zoe. You're the greatest huntress Artemis ever had and you wouldn't have been able to do it spending eternity guarding that bitch Hera's stupid golden apples." He said seriously.  
Zoe smiled, "Thank you Percy; not just for what you said but reminding me why it was that I fell in love with you."  
Perseus grinned, "That is my job isn't it?  
Zoe rolled her eyes before she leaned up and kissed Perseus on the lips softly. When she pulled back he smiled at her and dissolved into shadows leaving Zoe alone in the bed of the truck.  
A few minutes later the back window of the truck opened up and Phoebe's grinning face poked out of the window, "Are you all alone now lover girl?" She teased.  
Zoe glared at her but nodded, "Why are we stopped? We need to get to the Garden of the Hesperides we want to get to Mount Othrys."  
Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Yup but we don't know where to go so we need you to either drive or tell us how to get there."  
Zoe mentally face palmed and nodded. She made to get out of the truck but stopped when she couldn't figure out how to get out. Before she could say anything, the cap of the truck and the couch she was sitting on vanished making her drop to the metal truck bed with the thump.  
Phoebe broke out laughing when she saw Zoe fall, "Oh my gods, that was hilarious! Nice one Percy!"  
Zoe growled under her breath, "He's dead next time I see him." She grumbled before climbing out of the truck and making Phoebe sit in the bed of the truck. She chuckled when the couch and cap reappeared making Phoebe let out an uncharacteristically girlish yelp.  
"Percy you're going to die when I see you!" Phoebe yelled to no one in particular.  
Zoe drove for another hour until the four girls finally reached an area where they could see Mount Tamalpais where Atlas was supposed to be trapped under his burden. They ditched their truck and began to make the trek on foot. As they continued their quest on foot, they noticed the mist was getting especially strong.  
"We are close." Zoe said, her voice tight.  
"What do you mean; the mountain is still pretty far off." Thalia said pointing toward the mountain a little farther in the distance.  
"Not the mountain. The Garden of the Hesperides is the first obstacle we need to get past." Phoebe explained as he saw Zoe tense at the name of her former home.  
"How can we get through? It is guarded by Ladon. We won't be able to get past him." Annabeth asked nervously.  
No one answered Annabeth's question as they weren't exactly sure how they were going to get past that particular obstacle yet.  
After a few more minutes the group made its way through the heavy sheets of fog and mist and entered in a beautiful meadow filled with shadows and flowers. It was dusk, the only time they could get into the garden. Annabeth and Thalia gasped when they laid eyes on the giant five-story-tall apple tree that glittered with golden apples.  
"The apples of immortality," Thalia said.  
Right after she spoke, Thalia and Annabeth both gasped again when they noticed the hundred headed dragon coiled around the tree.  
Shadows began to move and shift in front of the group. Four figures shimmered into existence that all looked very much like Zoe.  
"Sisters," Zoe said coldly.  
"We do not see any sister." One of the Hesperides spat back. "We see two half-bloods and two hunters all of whom shall soon be dead.  
"We did not come here to fight with you sisters. We need to reach the mountain so that we may rescue Artemis." Zoe said confidently.  
"You know he will kill thee," one of the Hesperides said. "You are no match for him."  
"Artemis must be freed," Zoe insisted. "Let us pass."  
The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our  
voices and Ladon will wake."  
"He will not hurt me," Zoe said sternly.  
"No? And what about thy so-called friends?" The girl pressed.  
Before Zoe could respond a golden light descended upon the garden. When the light cleared, the Queen of the Gods herself stood between the four members of the quest and the four Hesperides.  
All eight girls grudgingly bowed to Hera who waved them off and turned towards the four confused looking Hesperides.  
"You shall let them pass. They are not seeking one of the Apples of Immortality." Hera said sternly.  
One of the Hesperides was about to retort when one of her sisters grabbed her arm and stopped her before speaking herself, "As you wish Lady Hera but they will all fall by our father's hand soon enough."  
Hera glared at the Hesperides before they all shimmered out of existence just like they had arrived.  
Hera turned to the four girls from the quest, "Ladon will not bother you; you may pass."  
Zoe stepped forward with a confused expression, "Thank you Lady Hera but may I ask why it is that you are here?"  
A slightly pained looked appeared on Hera's face before she spoke, "Doing what little I can to rectify a mistake I made long ago. I am sorry for what I took from you." She said looking at Zoe and Phoebe. "Perseus did not deserve what happened to him and while I can't make it up to him, I can try to do what I can when I can." She explained before she began to glow as the four girls covered their eyes as Hera vanished from the garden.  
"Well that was… unexpected." Thalia said in shock.  
Zoe nodded, "Yes well Hera always did have a good relationship with Percy. I guess she is trying to make amends for voting for him to be banished."  
Thalia nodded and the four girls resumed their trek through the garden, taking extra care to skirt around Ladon and his tree as carefully and quietly as possible.  
The made their way up the mountain as quickly as they could until they finally reached their destination.  
At the top of mountain were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses; broken columns and statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.  
"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whispered in awe.  
"Yes," Zoe said. "It should not be here. This is bad."  
"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked.  
"In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was blasted to pieces when the gods defeated the Titans." Zoe explained.  
"But… how is it here?" Annabeth asked.  
Thalia looked around cautiously as they picked their way through the rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways.  
"It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, on this mountain, is not good." Zoe replied.  
"Why?" Thalia asked.  
"This is Atlas's mountain," Zoe said. "Where he holds—" She froze. Her voice was ragged with despair, "Where he used to hold up the sky."  
They had reached the summit. A few yards ahead of them, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains.  
Zoe and Phoebe gasped at the sight of their mistress in such distress forgetting all resentment they had previously held towards her.  
"My lady!" Phoebe cried as she and Zoe raced towards Artemis.  
"Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now." Artemis pleaded.  
Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat, the weight of the sky was clearly too much for Artemis.  
Zoe ran forward despite Artemis's protests, and tugged at the chains.  
"Ah, how touching." A booming voiced called from behind them.


	8. Battle of Mount Othrys

Ch. 8  
They had reached the summit. A few yards ahead of them, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains.  
Zoe and Phoebe gasped at the sight of their mistress in such distress forgetting all resentment they had previously held towards her.  
"My lady!" Phoebe cried as she and Zoe raced towards Artemis.  
"Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now." Artemis pleaded.  
Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat, the weight of the sky was clearly too much for Artemis.  
Zoe ran forward despite Artemis's protests and tugged at the chains.  
"Ah, how touching." A booming voiced called from behind them.  
Zoe spun around and paled as she laid eyes on her father. Atlas was standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen monsters.  
"Luke," Thalia snarled.  
Luke's smile was weak and pale, "Thalia, it's good to see you again."  
Thalia spat at him.  
Atlas chuckled, "So much for old friends. And you, Zoe. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."  
"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."  
"Let Artemis go," Zoe demanded.  
Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her then? Be my guest."  
Zoe opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis spoke up, "No! Do not offer, Zoe! I forbid you."  
Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.  
"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see daughter? I think Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."  
"I don't understand," Thalia said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"  
Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."  
He approached the group, studying Thalia and Annabeth. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."  
"Fight us," Phoebe growled.  
"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead." Atlas said dismissively.  
"So you're another male coward," Phoebe spat.  
Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Thalia.  
"As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."  
"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed but he looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. "Thalia, you can still join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you."  
Thalia glared back at Luke, her eyes narrowed as she pulled out her canister of mace, "I don't know you demigod. The Luke Castellan I knew was a hero and a damn good one. You," She said with disgust, "aren't even a shell of him. I won't even think twice about running you through with my spear."  
Phoebe glanced at Artemis one more time before looking back at Atlas, "Beneath your dignity huh? Well I've never been one for arrogant males," She sneered as he pulled her bow off her shoulder and notched an arrow. "You can take that supposed dignity and shove it up your arrogant Titan ass!" She finished as she fired three arrows with blazing speed into the heads to three of the monsters giving them a quick entrance to Tartarus.  
Zoe followed her lead and dispatched the other three before anyone could react.  
"Fools!" Atlas bellowed, "You've all just sealed your fates."  
Thalia summoned Aegis to her wrist and charged at Luke while Phoebe tossed Annabeth her bow and pulled out her spear while Zoe pulled out two hunting knives as they stalked towards Atlas with Annabeth preparing to back them with aerial support.  
Phoebe charged at Atlas whose brown silk suit was replaced by battle armor and a javelin materialized in his hand. Phoebe thrust her spear at the Titan's chest but Atlas batted her spear aside and jammed the butt of his javelin into her chest, sending her toppling over backwards..  
Zoe charged in from the side and slashed to deep gashes into her father's side and quickly retreated before he could react.  
Atlas grunted in pain and turned toward Zoe with a look of rage, "You'll die painfully traitor."  
Zoe narrowed her eyes and charged again attacking as quickly as she could, putting all her strength into each strike.  
Atlas parried her strikes for a minute before he spun out of the way and backhanded her, sending her stumbling back.  
Phoebe jumped back into the fray as she jabbed and stabbed desperately trying to land a blow but Atlas was simply toying with her.  
As Zoe climbed to her feet, Atlas blocked Phoebe's attack before using his javelin to sweep her legs from under here. He raised his javelin to impale her but Zoe charged forward and kicked her father back a few feet.  
Atlas roared in outrage and feinted a strike low before driving his javelin through Zoe's stomach. He stepped forward and kicked Zoe in the chest as he pulled his weapon free and sent her flying backwards.  
"NO!" Artemis screamed as she saw Zoe sent flying.  
Atlas smirked, "One less hunter to kill in the war."  
Phoebe jumped forward before was pulled back by an unseen force. Atlas looked around confused until a shadow descended in the throne room of Mount Othrys as Perseus appeared with a look of absolute rage on his face.  
Atlas' eyes widened as he looked at Perseus warily, "Why are you here? You said you were neutral in this war."  
Perseus’ black as night eyes just stared at the Titan, "I warned you when you tried to get me to join your side Atlas. I said you could do what pleased with the Olympians but Zoe was off-limits. You're going to regret going back on your word." He snarled.  
Atlas glared at him, "You may be a god but you are still not match for a Titan."  
Perseus turned to Phoebe, "Go and help Zoe. Atlas belongs to me now." He said in a tone that left no room for argument.  
Phoebe nodded and ran off to Zoe's side.  
"Why do you care Perseus? Take my little traitor daughter and leave. You cannot seriously want to rescue that worthless moon goddess." Atlas asked incredulously.  
Perseus' eye snapped over to Artemis who was trapped underneath the sky with tears falling freely down her face as she looked at her brother. Perseus sent a murderous glare in her direction before turning back to Atlas, "I would kill her myself if I thought her blood was worthy of touching my blade but you have left me without options. For touching Zoe, you're either going back under the sky willingly or I'm going to make you."  
Perseus glanced over where he saw Annabeth now helping to fight Luke two-on-one before Thalia disarmed Luke. He made a wild grab for her spear but Thalia was too quick, kicking him in the chest and over the side of the cliff they were fighting in front of. Annabeth looked horrified by Thalia's actions but Thalia just glared down the side of the cliff to where Luke's body must have fallen.  
Atlas' held his javelin in front of him as he got himself in a ready position to fight.  
Perseus wasted no time as he charged forward and dropped into a shadow at his feet before he reappeared to Atlas' right and slammed a powerful fist into the Titan's jaw.  
Atlas stumbled back, "You're going to die godling." He growled.  
Perseus responded with a flurry of strikes but Atlas met every one of them as sparks flew wildly as the two immortal beings met in battle. Perseus could barely be seen, looking like nothing more than a blur of black, a shadow that moved so fast that even Artemis had trouble keeping up with her brother's movements.  
Perseus slashed and stabbed but despite his size, Atlas had the speed to match his strikes. Perseus tried to increase the power behind each blow but Atlas noticed and jumped to the side catching him by surprise and swept his legs out from under Perseus.  
Perseus landed on his back as Atlas stood above him smiling smugly, "Now I will kill you before I finish off that little traitor daughter of mine." He sneered before driving his javelin into Perseus.  
Perseus swung his blade at the perfect time, knocking aside the tip of the javelin and Atlas off-balance and Perseus swung his legs into the back of the Titan's knees knocking him onto his back. Perseus slammed the back of his foot into Atlas' face while they both were on their backs before he jumped to his feet with Anaklusmos raised.  
Atlas recovered before he could strike and slammed the butt of his javelin into his stomach.  
Atlas climbed to his feet glaring at Perseus, "Not bad Perseus but I am the bane of the Olympians. You don't have a chance."  
Perseus surprised the Titan by grinning, "That's good because I am no Olympian Titan. I am the son of Nyx and the God of Night. And you are now in my domain bitch."  
Atlas' eyes narrowed before he panicked as all light in the room went out. The only light that could be seen was the moonlight in the top of the room where the sky came down and rested on Artemis' shoulders.  
Despite her pain, Artemis focused all her strength on dimming the light of moon encasing the entire room in darkness.  
"What are you doing Perseus?" Atlas yelled nervously.  
A cold laugh echoed all around Atlas, "Come mighty Titan, show me your strength; show me your power." Perseus mocked as his voice seemed to be coming from the Titan's right. “Where is all your strength now? Will it light the room for you? Will it help you now that you are hopelessly outmatched?”  
Atlas turned towards his right and slowly backed up as he held his javelin in front of him in a defensive position.  
"Come on Atlas… I know you can do better than this." Perseus mocked as he appeared to the Titan's right silently before whispering, "Boo!"  
Atlas swung his javelin wildly but Perseus was already gone. The Titan continued to back up slowly as he tried to listen and locate the god.  
"Enough of this Perseus! Turn on the damn lights again!" Atlas bellowed but was met by laughter.  
"As you wish almighty bane of Olympus," Perseus said with humor.  
Without notice the lights turned back on as Atlas looked for Perseus everywhere. He spun around and saw Artemis holding the sky a few feet behind him before his eyes widened in realization but it was too late.  
"Welcome home." Perseus whispered behind Atlas before kicking the Titan in the back and sending him sprawling towards Artemis who loosened her grip on the sky. Atlas crashed into her as she let herself be pushed out from underneath the burden, rolling as far back as she could until Atlas bellowed in pain as the sky dropped onto his back.  
Artemis recovered as she panted heavily. She looked up for her brother but he was nowhere to be seen. She climbed to her feet and took a few steps before she saw Perseus frozen. She looked past him and saw the same hooded man who had attacked her in Maine as he held Annabeth by the throat as Thalia stood between Perseus and the man.  
"A wonderful show Perseus," the man said with a sadistic smile. "I was hoping to get your little girlfriend but it appears her father already beat me to it."  
Artemis tried to get a look at the man but a hood covered his face, a shadow obscuring her view from anything besides his mouth. She looked at Perseus and saw his face was furious but she could also see the fear in his eyes.  
Perseus glared at the man, "Let her go Wraith or I will rip you to shreds." He growled.  
Wraith tilted his head to the side as if deep in thought, "I will give you back the girl if you surrender yourself to me." He said smirking.  
Perseus didn't even hesitate, "Deal."  
Wraith grinned as his left hand crept to his tattooed right forearm before he pulled back with a pitch-black chain that seemed to come out his arm. Before anyone could react, he wrapped the chain around Annabeth's neck, holding two ends of the chain in each hand as he smiled evilly, "A noble offer Perseus but I believe I will savor your death. It is far too early for the real festivities to begin." He said with glee.  
Before Perseus could flash over, Wraith wrenched the chains tight as Annabeth's neck was snapped in a sickening crunch.  
"Goodbye Perseus. Do make sure to send your lovely mother my best." He said before laughing manically as he melted into the shadows.  
Thalia ran to Annabeth and slid onto her knees and she put her best friend's limp head in her lap as tears began to pour from her eyes.  
Perseus looked at Annabeth's dead body sadly before he flashed himself to Zoe who was still alive, but just barely.  
When he reappeared by her side, Phoebe was already crying as she held a hand to Zoe's wound. She looked at Perseus pleadingly, "Percy, please save her."  
Perseus ignored Phoebe as he locked eyes with the girl he loved. Artemis was knelt down next to Phoebe with tears falling from her eyes.  
Zoe smiled sadly at Perseus, "It's okay Percy. I'm just glad I got to remember our time together and got to be with you again even if it was only for a day. I love you." She whispered.  
Perseus smiled a bit as he leaned down and kissed her gently. When he pulled back Zoe began to glow.  
"I told you I wouldn't lose you again. I meant it." He whispered back to her and her eyes widened in realization.  
A second later, Perseus collapsed onto the ground beside Zoe as ichor began to pour from his stomach. Before she could say anything, Zoe felt her vision darkening as she lost consciousness. Perseus looked over at Zoe and reached over to check her pulse before he smiled and laid his head back as he joined his lover in unconsciousness.  
Artemis shot to her feet and snapped her fingers; teleporting Thalia and Annabeth's body, along with Perseus' and Zoe's unconscious forms with herself and Phoebe outside the Garden of the Hesperides. When they appeared Artemis looked at the sky and screamed, "Apollo!"  
In a golden flash Apollo appeared. When he saw his brother covered in ichor he rushed to his side and immediately began trying to heal him. Artemis knelt at Perseus' side holding his hand tightly.  
Phoebe checked on Zoe. She seemed fine but no matter what she did, she would not wake up. She then looked back at Perseus and saw Artemis holding his hand as her eyes narrowed, "How can you act like you care about him after what you did?" She growled at her mistress whose eyes widened in shock.  
Artemis let go of Perseus' hand and looked at Phoebe sadly, "You don't understand Phoe…" She began until a growl from Phoebe stopped her mid-sentence.  
"Don't understand what milady? That you betrayed him over that worthless demigod Heracles? Or that you had our memories wiped and then lied to us for two thousand years?" She spat at Artemis her bowed her head in shame.  
Apollo looked up from healing Perseus and glared at Phoebe, "Silence girl! You don't even know what you're talking about. I would recommend you keep your mouth shut until you know the whole story." He growled at Phoebe who glared back at the god defiantly.  
Artemis looked at her brother confused, "What do you mean Apollo?"  
Apollo broke his gaze from Phoebe and looked at his twin, "Hera never knew what really happened." He said like it explained everything.  
Artemis looked at him in disbelief, "Who cares? What does that matter?" She growled.  
Apollo smiled a huge smile, "But it was Hera who took Zoe's memories and Zoe did know the whole story."  
Artemis' eyes widened in shock, "You mean Zoe will remember what happened?" She asked hopefully.  
Apollo nodded, "All her memories were returned to her. Father couldn't stop Hera without announcing to the council what really happened." He said before looking at Phoebe, "How much has Zoe remembered so far?"  
Phoebe continued to glare at Apollo, "Up until she and Percy started to date, why?"  
Apollo ignored her and looked at Zoe's unconscious body hopefully, "If I had to guess, she is remembering more as we speak. Maybe she will remember the rest soon and we can finally have our little brother back."  
Artemis looked at Apollo with hope gleaming in her silver eyes, "How is Percy? Is he okay?"  
Apollo smiled, "The wound is bad but he'll live. I need to get him to Olympus to finish though."  
Artemis nodded before she stopped, "No, we can't take him there. Father may try to harm him. We'll take him to Delos."  
Apollo's eyes widened and he nodded, "Good call. I've got Zoe and Percy, you bring the rest." He said before putting a hand on both Zoe's and Perseus' shoulders as they vanished in a golden light.  
Artemis looked at Thalia sadly as she still held her dead friend's body in her lap as she wept.  
"I am sorry about your friend sister. I promise she will get the honors she deserves and the burial of a true heroine, but we must leave this place at once." Artemis explained softly as she gestured Phoebe closer to her.  
"What were you and Apollo talking about milady?" Phoebe asked confused.  
Artemis smiled sadly, "I cannot say but hopefully you will know very soon."  
Phoebe narrowed her eyes but nodded as Artemis grabbed her shoulder and Thalia's as they all disappeared with Annabeth's body in a flash of silver light.  
They reappeared inside a large room where Perseus and Zoe were already laid on hospital beds while Apollo continued to work on Perseus' wound.  
Artemis waved her hand and Annabeth's body was wrapped in a grey shroud with an owl emblem emblazoned on the front. Thalia looked gratefully at Artemis who gave her small sad nod in acknowledgement.  
"Where are we?" Phoebe asked confused.  
Artemis' face was pained, "This is Perseus' home. We are on the island of Delos where our mother was banished after Perseus was born. Perseus lived with her when he was banished and he stayed here after she faded." She said softly as a few fresh tears fell from her eyes.  
Phoebe nodded and made her way over to Zoe, "What's wrong with Zoe? Why won't she wake up if Percy took the wound for her?"  
Apollo looked up from his work on Perseus, "I believe she is reliving more memories. They are too in-depth for her to be conscious when she gets them." He said with a meaningful look at Artemis whose face turned hopeful as she looked down at Zoe's sleeping form.  
Inside Zoe's mind, she was watching her past self walking with Perseus in the moonlight. As she watched a hand suddenly grabbed hers, causing her to reach for a knife that wasn't there. When she turned she saw Perseus looking at her with a soft smile.  
"How are you here?" She asked shocked.  
Perseus shook his head, "I'm not sure, but I'm guessing whatever this memory contains is important to both of us."  
Zoe's eyes widened before she smiled and wrapped her arms around Perseus' neck and pulled him down into kiss. Perseus smiled into the kiss before she pulled back and grabbed his hand again, "Thank you for saving me Percy."  
Perseus smiled, "I would never let something happen to you as long as I could help it."  
Zoe squeezed his hand softly as they watched their past selves walk together in the moonlight. As they watched themselves walking through the woods, they came into a clearing where a blanket was laid on the ground. Zoe and Perseus watched themselves take a seat before lying down on their backs and staring into the starry night. As they watched their past selves, Zoe looked at Perseus to see a pained expression on his face.  
"What wrong Percy?" Zoe asked concerned.  
Perseus shook his head sadly, "This was the last time I saw you for two thousand years. I'm just not looking forward to what happens later."  
Zoe nodded and squeezed his hand softly trying to comfort him as they watched the scene unfold in front of them.  
Their past selves laid back silently watching the stars until Zoe sat up, pulling Perseus with her.  
"Percy, we've been together for over one hundred years now right?" Past Zoe asked softly.  
Perseus nodded smiling. Zoe reached into her hair, pulling out a hair pin.  
"I've wanted to give you this for a long time Percy. It would make me happy if you would wield Anaklusmos." She said softly.  
Perseus looked at her a little surprised, "But it was from your mother. Shouldn't you keep it?"  
Zoe shook her head, "I love you Percy and I want you to have it. It's a powerful weapon and I want you to have it to protect you." She said as she placed the hairpin in his hand.  
Perseus looked at her for a minute before smiling and nodding his head. "I love you too Zoe. I…." She began before Zoe's vision darkened as she thought she was moving to another memory. When the darkness cleared, she and Perseus were sharing a heated kiss. Zoe looked closely at her past self and saw a few tears in her eyes.  
"Wait, what happened?" Zoe asked confused.  
Perseus didn't meet her eyes, "I don't know, it was weird like it skipped over part of the memory." He said quickly.  
Zoe narrowed her eyes at him but before she could ask, a loud rumble of thunder shook the area where they were watching the memory, drawing Zoe's attention back to the scene in front of her.  
"Damn, looks like father found out what I did to Heracles." Percy said with a mischievous smile. "I need to go to Olympus, there is a council meeting. Head back to the hunter's camp and I will come back right after." Perseus said before kissing Zoe.  
Zoe smiled at him and nodded.  
Perseus was engulfed by a shadow and disappeared. Before Zoe could get up, she was engulfed by a golden light and also disappeared.  
Both Perseus and Zoe from the present stared confused where Zoe had vanished from. Both their visions went dark before reappearing in a side room on Olympus. When they looked, they saw Artemis and Apollo arguing with Zeus.  
"You must be joking if you think we would go against Percy father." Artemis argued while Apollo nodded his head.  
Zeus just smiled smugly and turned to Zoe who Artemis and Apollo just noticed was in the room.  
"Well your choice is simple daughter. Vote for Perseus' banishment or I will kill his little girlfriend here." Zeus said as he leveled his bolt at a wide-eyed Zoe.  
"You can't be serious father. It would begin a civil war on Olympus. Percy won't rest until he has killed you." Artemis screamed at her father.  
Zeus just narrowed his eyes, "And what would your dearest brother say when he discovers that it was you who made the decision that led to her death?"  
"Why? Why are you doing this father?" Apollo growled.  
"Your brother is a liability to Olympus. He constantly challenges my decisions and leads both of you to go against me with him." Zeus replied back simply.  
Both Apollo and Artemis narrowed their eyes at their father, "And what do you think will happen when he finds out you forced us to vote with you." Artemis asked with a murderous glare at her father.  
"He won't. You both will swear on the Styx to never reveal this meeting or I will kill her along each and every one of you little hunters." Zeus said back smugly.  
Zoe was staring wide-eyed just like her past self at the scene if front of her. She turned to look at Perseus to see tears falling down his face. Before she could say anything, everything went black again.  
Zoe felt herself waking up this time. When she opened her eyes she saw Phoebe leaning over her yelling that she was waking up. Zoe shot up out of the bed looking around wildly. She saw Perseus open his eyes and look at her. Before she could say anything he vanished from his bed without a word.  
"Where the Hades did he go?" Phoebe asked confused.  
Zoe looked to see Artemis and Apollo staring at the spot where Percy vanished from with sad expressions on their faces. They turned to look at Zoe but before they could speak she did.  
"He knows what happened on Olympus all those years ago. He was with me in the memory as we watched Zeus threaten the hunters and me and blackmailed you into voting for his banishment." Zoe explained quickly.  
Apollo smiled, "That's great but why did he leave?"  
Artemis' eyes went wide, "We need to get to Olympus, now!"  
Apollo finally seemed to realize what she meant as the twins both flashed out of Perseus' home and up to Olympus where they both went pale at what they saw.


	9. Revelations

Ch. 9  
Both Perseus and Zoe from the present stared confused at the spot where past Zoe had vanished from. Both their visions went dark before reappearing in a side room on Olympus. When they looked, they saw Artemis and Apollo arguing with Zeus.  
"You must be joking if you think we would go against Percy father." Artemis argued while Apollo nodded his head.  
Zeus just smiled smugly and turned to Zoe who Artemis and Apollo just noticed was in the room.  
"Well your choice is simple daughter. Vote for Perseus' banishment or I will kill his little girlfriend here." Zeus said as he leveled his bolt at a wide-eyed Zoe.  
"You can't be serious father. It would begin a civil war on Olympus. Percy won't rest until he has killed you." Artemis screamed at her father.  
Zeus just narrowed his eyes, "And what would your dearest brother say when he discovers that it was you who made the decision that led to her death?"  
"Why? Why are you doing this father?" Apollo growled.  
"Your brother is a liability to Olympus. He constantly challenges my decisions and leads both of you to go against me with him." Zeus replied back simply.  
Both Apollo and Artemis narrowed their eyes at their father, "And what do you think will happen when he finds out you forced us to vote with you." Artemis asked with a murderous glare at her father.  
"He won't. You both will swear on the Styx to never reveal this meeting or I will kill her along each and every one of your little hunters." Zeus said back smugly.  
Zoe was staring wide-eyed just like her past self at the scene if front of her. She turned to look at Perseus to see tears falling down his face. Before she could say anything, everything went black again.  
Zoe felt herself waking up this time. When she opened her eyes she saw Phoebe leaning over her yelling that she was waking up. Zoe shot up out of the bed looking around wildly. She saw Perseus open his eyes and look at her. Before she could say anything he vanished from his bed without a word.  
"Where the Hades did he go?" Phoebe asked confused.  
Zoe looked to see Artemis and Apollo staring at the spot where Percy vanished from with sad expressions on their faces. They turned to look at Zoe but before they could speak she did.  
"He knows what happened on Olympus all those years ago. He was with me in the memory as we watched Zeus threaten the hunters and me and blackmailed you two into voting for his banishment." Zoe explained quickly.  
Apollo smiled, "That's great but why did he leave?"  
Artemis' eyes went wide, "We need to get to Olympus, now!"  
Apollo finally seemed to realize what she meant as the twins both flashed out of Perseus' home and up to Olympus where they both went pale at what they saw.  
The throne room of Olympus was in utter chaos. Perseus and Zeus were locked in combat while a few of Nyx's children watched amusedly from places beside the thrones of any Olympian that would come to Zeus' aide.  
Lyssa and Thanatos stood with weapons out in front of Hephaestus' throne while Phobetor stood in front of Dionysus who didn't look to have any interest in joining the fight anyway.  
Athena and Ares were trying to calm Perseus with words but he was in his own world as he pushed his father back again and again, slowly starting to gain an advantage over Zeus.  
Hades sat in his customary guest throne since it was the Winter Solstice smirking at his brother getting his ass whooped by his own son.  
Poseidon, Hera, and Demeter looked unsure of what to do. They knew Perseus was justified in his actions and felt wrong interfering while Hestia just looked at Perseus sadly. No one in the throne room knew of what set the God of Night off but were hesitant to step in with the look of absolute rage on his face.  
Artemis looked around the room and found Eris smiling gleefully at the utter chaos that was consuming the throne room. Eris twirled on of her cursed apples in her hand and looked ready to drop it to increase the chaotic state of the room until she saw Artemis were her bow drawn and aimed at her as she shook her head.  
Eris scowled at the moon goddess but held her grip on the apple as she resumed gleefully watching the epic clash between her brother and the King of the Gods.  
Perseus pressed his attack harder and faster as his mind raced with the thought of everything that was taken from him through Zeus' blackmail.  
Zeus blocked Anaklusmos and pushed Perseus back and raised his master bolt to blast Perseus only for Perseus to lunge forward before he could attack and drive his blade deep into Zeus' shoulder, making his drop his bolt in shock.  
Perseus kicked the master bolt aside before he ripped his blade out of his father's shoulder and raised his blade to finish him off only for it to be stopped as a tendril of shadow wrapped around his hand stopping him from delivering the final blow.  
Perseus froze and turned to meet the disapproving gaze of Nyx as she shook her head.  
"Let me kill him mother! He took everything from me!" Perseus snarled.  
Nyx sighed and flicked her wrist as a wall of darkness crashed into the unsuspecting Zeus and sent him onto his back.  
"I am sorry son but you cannot kill him today." Nyx said apologetically.  
Perseus growled, "You don't even know what he did! He blackmailed my brother and sister and took away the woman I loved because of his own paranoia and lust for power!"  
Nyx's eyes narrowed as she looked at Zeus who was clutching his painfully injured shoulder before she turned back to Perseus, "He will soon pay for what he did to you but it cannot be today."  
"Why not?" Perseus growled.  
Nyx sent Perseus a meaningful glare for a minute. Perseus just glared at his mother before grudgingly nodding. He turned back to Zeus who still sat on the ground and held a hand to his shoulder as ichor poured from the wound.  
"This isn't over. Whether it be tomorrow or in ten years, I will kill you for what you did." He snarled at his father before taking two quick steps forward and kicked Zeus right in the face before flashing out of the throne room without another word.  
He was followed immediately by the other children of Nyx until only she and council remained. Zeus glared at the Primordial Goddess of Night before he glanced at Apollo.  
"Well are you going to heal my wounds or what?" He asked angrily.  
For once in his immortal life, Apollo's expression stayed serious as he looked back at his father, "Heal you? You're lucky I don't add to your injuries you bastard." He spat at his father.  
Zeus' eyes widened in shock before anger flashed in his electric blue eyes, "How dare you? You will heal my injuries or incur my wrath you little good for noth…" He began before a silver arrow flew by his head, missing the Kings of the Gods by less than an inch before it imbedded in the throne room wall.  
"You seem to believe that we actually cared about you father rather than just went along so you would not hurt my girls." Artemis hissed.  
Zeus' expression turned murderous but before he could speak, Poseidon stood from his throne, "What are you talking about Artemis?"  
Before she could answer, Perseus flashed back into the throne room, "She is talking about how Zeus got her and my brother to vote for my banishment all those years ago."  
Artemis and Apollo looked at Perseus hopefully but he refused to meet their eyes, instead keeping them on his uncle.  
"And how exactly did he do that?" Hera asked quietly from her throne.  
Perseus sent a glare at Hera, "He threatened to kill Zoe if they did not vote the way he wanted and then threatened the rest of the hunters if they did not swear on the River Styx to never tell anyone what happened." He spat angrily.  
"An oath you have now broken!" Zeus bellowed at the twins before he shrunk back after being glared at by almost the entire council.  
"I swear if you open your mouth again no even a Primordial Goddess will be able to stop me from ripping you to pieces." Perseus growled.  
Zeus glared at his son but before he could say anything Nyx spoke up.  
"I am not here to listen to you realize how terrible of a father and god you are Zeus. I am here to let you know why it is I stopped my son from killing you." She sneered at Zeus before turning back to the council. "After my son put Atlas back in his place under the sky, there was an attack on one of the demigods from the second threat that you face. While I said we would let you face both threats alone, that is actually not true. My children and I have been doing what we can to stop the being but he is a dangerous threat to not just Olympus but the world as a whole."  
Athena looked at Nyx sadly, "The man who killed my daughter?"  
Nyx nodded sympathetically at the Goddess of Wisdom, "Yes. There is not a lot I can tell you about the man as my information is also limited. He was cast into Tartarus centuries ago but instead of being punished, he thrived inside the pit. While he was born a mortal, he is anything but that today." She explained before being interrupted.  
"A mortal? You can't think a mortal could challenge of the might of the gods." Zeus said arrogantly.  
Nyx's eyes flashed with annoyance "Silence you arrogant fool. You will raise your hand when you want to speak again or I will show you what the true meaning of power is." She spat before a crushing aura of power was released causing everyone with the exception of Perseus to shrink back. "While in Tartarus, my husband thought he could use this man as a weapon in his war against my son Aether. Under the guise of being his ally, the man managed to become unimaginably powerful, draining my husband of his power and eventually causing him to fade."  
The Olympians paled a bit at Nyx's words. Poseidon looked up nervously, "And what is it that this man wants?"  
Perseus shook his head, "He doesn't want anything." He said garnering confused looks from the Olympians. "He is a soulless and evil being who cares nothing for the lives of anyone, even himself. He simply wishes to see the world fall into chaos and destroy anything the challenges those chaotic ways."  
Poseidon looked at Perseus worriedly, "But he must not be acting alone. No one being could hope to throw the world into chaos by himself."  
Perseus nodded, "He is alone but he is not. He has an army of monsters and undead that serve him. How he procured their loyalty, we do not know. He will use the war with the Titans as a chance to wreak havoc in hopes Olympus and Othrys destroy each other and he can step in afterward and do as he pleases."  
The council sat silently as they thought about Perseus' and Nyx's words.  
"My son and some of my children are doing what they can to capture and destroy the man but he is not easy to fight. He is reckless and cares not about losses on his side. The reason I did not allow Perseus to kill Zeus is that Kronos will release Typhon. You Olympians must stop Typhon while my children hold back Wraith as it will be his chance to send the world into chaos." Nyx said ominously before a shadow consumed her as she vanished.  
Perseus looked up at Artemis and Apollo for the first time since they came into the throne room. His lips remained sealed but the pain in his eyes was undeniable as he followed his mother's lead and was engulfed by a shadow.  
Artemis looked at Apollo, "Let's go find Percy."  
Apollo nodded and they were about to flash out when Zeus spoke, "Where do you two think you're going?"  
Artemis glared at her father, "We're going to find the brother you took away from us for two millennia, do you have a problem with that?"  
Zeus glared at his two children but was interrupted by Hera, "Go to your brother. We will deal with your terrible father." She said glaring harshly at Zeus.  
Zeus looked like he was about to argue until he noticed all the other gods and goddesses glaring at him.  
Artemis and Apollo flashed out of the throne room and back to the island of Delos.  
When they appeared on the Island of Delos, they saw Perseus talking with Zoe on the beach. When Zoe noticed them, she gave Perseus a quick kiss and made her way inside his house.  
Artemis carefully approached her brother as he faced away from her staring out into the ocean. When she reached him, she saw the tears falling down his face.  
Artemis tentatively sat down beside Perseus on the beach. She looked over at his face and felt her heart break a little, "Percy?" She said quietly.  
Perseus kept looking out at the ocean for a minute before his gaze slowly looked over at his sister; the pain in his eyes was enough to bring tears to the moon goddess' eyes.  
"Percy, I'm sorry." Artemis whispered.  
Perseus looked at his disbelievingly, "Why are you sorry? You should hate me for thinking you would willingly betray me."  
Artemis looked at Perseus confused, "You don't hate me?"  
"Hate you? You're my big sister. No matter how mad I was or how much I truly wanted to, I could never hate you Artemis. You are one of the few people in the world who I could never hate." Perseus said quietly before he was pulled into a tight embrace.  
Artemis buried her face into the crook of Perseus' neck as she held onto him for dear life, something she had been praying she could do again for over two thousand years.  
Perseus slowly wrapped his arms around Artemis as he felt tears falling from Artemis' face and onto his neck. He hugged her a little tighter as he let go of all the anger and resentment he had been holding onto to for millennia.  
The brother and sister stayed in that position silently for a couple of minutes as Perseus rubbed her back soothingly. Artemis finally loosened her grip on Perseus and pulled back enough to look into her brother's midnight black eyes, "You have no idea how much I've missed you."  
Perseus gave her a sad smile, "I do actually. Despite how angry I was, I missed you just as much. You've always been my big sister but you're also my best friend. My life has hardly been worth living without you in it."  
Artemis' lips quirked into the first genuine smile in as long as she could remember, "Never again Percy."  
Perseus smiled before his eyes moved to his left where he saw Apollo watching the duo with a smile on his face. Perseus turned toward him, "Apollo…" He began but was interrupted by Apollo closing the distance between them and pulling him into a godly sized hug.  
"None of that Perce, it's all in the past now." Apollo said happily as he released him.  
Perseus smiled, "Thanks bro but I'm still sorry for think you two would ever betray me willingly."  
Both twin siblings smiled at their brother.  
"What are you going to do now Perce?" Apollo asked.  
Perseus shrugged, "I really don't know. I didn't exactly expect any of this to happen."  
Artemis glared at Perseus, "You're coming back to hunt. You've been forced away from Zoe and the rest of the girls for too long. It's time you came home."  
Perseus looked up at Artemis surprised but smiled, "I think I will like that."  
Apollo grinned, happy to see his siblings together again. He knew didn't have the close relationship that Perseus and Artemis had but he loved them both and was happy that Artemis would finally be happy again.  
"Well I suppose I should get back to Olympus, Hermes and I are going out into the mortal world to pick up chicks," he said making Artemis scowl. "Any chance you want to join us Perce?"  
Before Perseus could respond, a silver arrow flew from behind them and imbedded into Apollo's backside.  
The sun god shrieked in pain while Artemis and Perseus laughed. Apollo turned to find Zoe with her bow out glaring at him from the edge of the beach.  
Apollo paled as Zoe loaded another arrow, "Whoa, just kidding Zoe."  
Perseus and Artemis continued to laugh as Apollo stepped back nervously before vanishing in a golden light.  
Behind Zoe, Phoebe and Thalia came walking out, Phoebe not meeting Artemis' eyes as she approached her.  
"My Lady, I am sorry for how I spoke to you. I didn't know the truth but I should not have doubted you." Phoebe said nervously.  
Artemis smiled, "All is forgiven Phoebe. I would have been angry in your position as well."  
Phoebe looked up surprised but when she saw her mistress smiling and the lack of sternness and stress that usually adorned her features, she decided not to question it. It was clear Artemis was happy to have Perseus back.  
Artemis turned to Thalia, "I will send you back to Camp Half-Blood as I must return to my hunters."  
Thalia looked a little saddened at the thought of returning to camp but nodded, "Thank you Lady Artemis."  
Artemis smiled and put a hand on Thalia's shoulder before she vanished in a silver light leaving Perseus and Artemis alone with the two huntresses.  
Zoe looked at Perseus sadly, "Have you told Hades what happened to his daughter on the quest?"  
Perseus looked confused before chuckling, "Tell him what?"  
Zoe looked at Perseus incredulously, "That she was killed by that bimbo Aphrodite and her idiot husband."  
Perseus chuckled again, "Yeah, about that…." He said before snapping his fingers as a shadow descended beside him until it solidified into the form of the daughter of Hades."  
Zoe gaped at the sight before turning to Perseus confused, "How?"  
Perseus grinned, "The prophecy stated that one would be lost in the land without rain… not that one would die. I simply made sure the prophecy played out in Bianca's favor."  
Zoe's eyes widened before stepped forward and slammed her fist into Perseus' gut but he continued to chuckle.  
"Why did you let us think she died?" Zoe growled while Phoebe glared at Perseus and nodded her head in agreement to the question.  
"It said she had to be lost, not that she had to die. If you knew where she was, then she would not have been lost to the quest now would she?" Perseus asked.  
The two huntresses continued to glare at Perseus for a minute before grudgingly nodding.  
"Fine but don't pull that crap again." Zoe said bitterly.  
Perseus rolled his eyes, "What save one of my two champions? I wouldn't dream of it."  
Artemis' eyes widened, "Champions?"  
Perseus smiled, "Of course. Bianca and her brother Nico needed a patron god since there is no way their father or I will send them to that worthless camp so Zeus or someone could get to them." He said before nodding to Bianca, "Sorry for grabbing you without notice Bianca. You can go back to the Underworld, I will come see you and Nico soon cousin."  
Bianca smiled and ran off into a shadow.  
"Cousin?" Artemis asked.  
Perseus shrugged, "She is our cousin, isn't she? You should remember I don't consider there to be a difference between gods and demigods other than lifespan."  
Artemis smiled at his words, "Come Percy, let's get back to the hunt. I know a couple more girls that are going to be thrilled to see you."  
Perseus grabbed Zoe's hand while Artemis put a hand on Phoebe's shoulder as they flashed to the hunters' camp where all four paled at what they saw.


	10. Champions of the Night

Ch. 10

Artemis' eyes widened, "Champions?"

Perseus smiled, "Of course. Bianca and her brother Nico needed a patron god since there is no way their father or I will send them to that worthless camp so Zeus or someone could get to them." He said before nodding to Bianca, "Sorry for grabbing you without notice Bianca. You can go back to the Underworld, I will come see you and Nico soon cousin."

Bianca smiled and ran off into a shadow.

"Cousin?" Artemis asked.

Perseus shrugged, "She is our cousin, isn't she? You should remember I don't consider there to be a difference between gods and demigods other than lifespan."

Artemis smiled at his words, "Come Percy, let's get back to the hunt. I know a couple more girls that are going to be thrilled to see you."

Perseus grabbed Zoe's hand while Artemis put a hand on Phoebe's shoulder as they flashed to the hunters' camp where all four paled at what they saw.

The hunter's camp was in utter chaos. Tents were on fire. Huntresses lay wounded on the ground, some not moving. A small resistance of uninjured hunters had put up a defensive wall around the wounded ones.

Perseus looked at his sister and saw a look of horror in her eyes. She was at a loss of what to do. No immortal beings were around leaving her restricted by the ancient laws.

Perseus snapped his fingers as a shadow appeared behind him. Out of it solidified two figures with a look of confusion on their faces. Perseus waved his hand, covering them in pitch black armor.

"Nico, Bianca. Help defend the wounded hunters." Perseus ordered.

Both children of Hades quickly gathered their wits. Nico pulled out a three foot Stygian Iron blade that was black as night while Bianca twisted a ring on her finger as a bow appeared in her hands.

Nico drove his sword into the ground opening up a crack in the earth as skeleton warriors began to claw their way to the surface and charged into the fight while Bianca began firing off arrows as fast as she could.

Nico charged forward, swinging his sword in a downward arc and severing a Cyclops' arm from its body as it attempted to crush a wounded huntress. Nico wasted no time in driving his blade into the monster's stomach, his weapon sucking the essence of the Cyclops out of it before it dissolved into golden dust.

Bianca was shocked at her speed and skill with a bow. She had been practicing a lot but it suddenly felt like she had been doing it her whole life. Her pitch-black arrows where joined by the silver ones of the hunters while they slowly began to stave off the charging monsters, stopping them from gaining any more ground and getting to the injured hunters.

Nico's body seemed to have gone into autopilot as he met every monster who made it through the onslaught of arrows. He knew he had been getting better with his swordsmanship but he was utterly confused as he ducked under an Empousai dagger before spinning and slicing the monster's head off with a quick and powerful strike.

Perseus was watching his two champions with pride. They were new to combat but the blessing of the god of heroes made up for their lack of experience, allowing them to forget their fears as well in improving their skills with their weapons of choice. He looked to his left as saw Zoe and Phoebe firing arrows at uncanny speeds as they bought their sisters a little extra time to regroup and help the wounded.

Perseus turned back to the children of Hades only to have an arrow imbed in his shoulder. His eyes widened before he smiled evilly. He looked around to find the monster foolish enough to attack him but couldn't pick out the culprit making his smile grow.

Leaving the arrow in his shoulder, Anaklusmos appeared in his hand before he rushed forward. He was nothing more than a blur of black as he sliced and stabbed his way deep in into the monster ranks.

He used his godly strength and kicked a Cyclops in the chest, sending the monster flying backwards into its comrades.

The monsters halted their attack, finally sensing the divine presence they were up against. A shadow appeared in front of the army of monsters as a smirking hooded figure stepped forward.

"Tsk, tsk Perseus. I don't think that's allowed. Someone is cheating." The figure mocked.

Nico and Bianca walked up beside Perseus only to be knocked backwards by a wall of darkness as Perseus glared murderously at the figure, "Stay back. He is mine." Perseus ordered sternly.

"You've made a mistake coming here Wraith. You will suffer for attacking the hunters." He growled.

Wraith took a step forward, letting his hood fall from his head, finally showing his face to someone other than Perseus. Artemis was surprised by his appearance. She had assumed he would be some kind of disfigured monster. Instead he was a handsome man with eyes the color of obsidian. His face was clean shaven and his hair was a raven black similar to her brother's.

He grinned, "I'm afraid today is not our day Perseus. Soon though, it is drawing nearer. I just wanted to give you welcome home present now that you and the family have reconciled."

Perseus narrowed his eyes and let huge blast of godly energy only for Wraith to dissolve into shadows before it could hit him; instead disintegrating any monster within ten feet of the Cyclops whom it hit directly in the chest.

"Good try Perseus but I think we both know you'll have to do much better than that." Wraith mocked from his left before laughter erupted all around him, Wraith's voice seemingly coming from all around Perseus. "Tell the hunters and the always beautiful Artemis that I will be seeing them soon… very soon" He added before Perseus felt his presence leave completely.

Perseus growled angrily before looking at the forty or fifty monsters that Wraith had left behind. He put up a wall of dark energy behind him before releasing his anger as he took his true form, becoming pure energy as the monsters disintegrated instantly.

Perseus let the wall of energy vanish as he retook his human form and looked at Artemis who was staring at him wide-eyed. His eyes drifted to Nico and Bianca who were standing off to the side. Bianca had her bow out and aimed at a couple huntresses who had their bows out and arrows leveled at Nico.

Perseus waved his hand as both Bianca's and the huntresses' bows flew out of their hands.

"Not a nice way to thank them for coming to your aide." Perseus said with a glare at Artemis who looked too stunned to move.

Suddenly several other bows were out and aimed at Perseus, causing Artemis to finally snap out of her shock.

"Stand down! This is my brother." She said loudly.

The huntresses looked at her confused but lowered their bows slowly.

Perseus walked over to a fallen huntress and knelt down, holding a hand over the gaping wound in her stomach and sending pulses of dark energy into the wound; slowly but surely the wound began to close and some of the color returned to the girl's face before Perseus stepped away.

Perseus scanned the other injuries but didn't see anything life threatening before he turned to Nico and Bianca who were looking at him confused.

"Sorry guys but I told you I might grab you randomly when you are needed. You were obviously needed." He explained.

Bianca nodded, "Why did you knock us back? We could have helped you." She asked a little upset.

Perseus shook his head, "I told you that you also must know your limits. He is not for you or any other demigod to fight. He would have killed you quickly. He could kill me just as quickly."

Both siblings eyes widened making Perseus grin, "I said could, not would. I will come to visit you guys later. I've got some awkward conversations to have." He said gesturing to the hunters.

The two children of Hades nodded in understanding before Perseus snapped his fingers as they dissolved into shadows.

Perseus turned back to the hunters, most looking at him through narrowed eyes while Zoe and Phoebe were smiling at him. Artemis was looking at him a little worriedly. Before he could ask her what was wrong, a blur of blonde hair leapt at him, putting her arms around his neck and bringing a big grin to Perseus' face.

"Percy!" The small huntress cried loudly as held on to him tightly.

"Vicky," Perseus said with happiness. "Gods I have missed you."

The huntress smiled happily at his words while the majority of the hunters were looking at the scene in utter shock. Looking back between their mistress and their sister hugging a man and wondering why he wasn't some type of furry animal. The smile on Artemis' face just added to their looks of confusion.

"I'm so sorry Perce, I am so sorry I forgot about you." Victoria said sadly.

Percy looked down into her blue eyes and smiled sadly, "You have no reason to be sorry. No one did this but Zeus. But now it doesn't matter anymore, it's all in the past."

Victoria looked up at Perseus with surprise. She glanced at Zoe whose face turned a little red while Phoebe tried to stifle a laugh. She looked back and Perseus and grinned mischievously, "Perce, you dog." She said giving him a little shove.

Perseus chuckled but never stopped smiling. He looked back the hunters who were looking at him in utter shock before he looked at Victoria confused, "Where is Diana?"

"PERCY!" A female voice yelled from behind the huntresses making Perseus grin.

Victoria smirked, "Laying on her lazy butt like usual."

Perseus smiled and walked over towards the hunters who were still looking at him with narrowed eyes. Perseus sighed before his body dissolved before he reappeared behind them with a big smirk on his face.

"I thought children of Hermes were supposed to be quick." He said shaking his head. "Your father would be so ashamed." He teased.

"Shut up Percy." Diana growled.

Percy grinned and knelt down beside her, holding his hand over the wound on her leg before it began to glow. A second later he plopped onto his butt, golden ichor leaking out of his leg before he summoned a big piece of ambrosia and plopped it into his mouth.

Before he could stand back up, Perseus was tackled the ground, Diana wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him tightly.

"Gods I've missed you Percy." She whispered.

Perseus just smiled and hugged his niece back tightly. After a minute, Diana stepped back and noticed all the hunters glaring at Perseus murderously.

"Stop with those looks girls. This is Lady Artemis' little brother. I am sure she will explain everything to you in a minute. Vicky, Phoebe, Zoe and I are the only ones who are still around from before Percy was taken away from us. Just let Lady Artemis explain, Percy is one of the few good ones out there." Diana explained to the hunters.

"The best actually." Phoebe chimed in.

Perseus smiled at Phoebe before standing back up. Artemis walked over to Perseus and hugged him tightly. When she stepped back, Perseus raised an eyebrow.

Artemis rolled her eyes, "Two thousand years without seeing my baby brother means I can hug you as often as I want."

Perseus smiled at her and nodded.

Artemis turned back to the hunters, "It's almost dark. Someone get a fire going and I will explain everything girls. Percy and I will tend the wounded, the rest of you, gather up something to sit on, this might take a little while."

The hunters nodded and began to set to work while Perseus and Artemis helped to heal a few of the wounded hunters. Right as Perseus finished with the final hunter, his ear was suddenly grabbed as he was dragged away from the hunters.

"Ouch, damn it Artemis." Perseus complained.

His sister ignored him and dragged him a few more feet before finally letting go and looking back at him expectantly.

"What?" He asked.

Artemis narrowed her eyes, "What was that back there Percy? You took your divine form not twenty yards in front of the hunters and Zoe!"

Perseus sighed, "It's fine, they weren't in any danger. I made sure they were protected, something Nyx taught me."

"You can't lose control like that Percy, it's too dangerous." Artemis argued.

Perseus nodded slowly, "I'm sorry. It's just he got to me. It's one thing to attack me, but he went after the hunters. He knows how to get to me."

Artemis looked at her brother sympathetically, "It's okay Percy. I just need to know you're not going to lose it again."

Perseus glared at her, "I would never hurt a hunter; whether I know them yet or not, you should know that."

Artemis slowly nodded, "I know, I'm just worried about you. I'm not going to lose you again Percy. Whoever this Wraith guy is, we will fight him together. You are not alone."

Perseus looked unsure. "He's dangerous Artemis. I will need to fight him with my other siblings or Uncle Hades. His powers over shadows rival that of my mother Nyx. He basically drained Erebus of his power and now is right up there with a Primordial."

Artemis' eyes widened, "Then why are you trying to fight him one on one? Just because you're god of heroes doesn't mean you need to try and be one."

Perseus shrugged, "I'm a lot more powerful than I used to be sis. I can handle him."

Artemis looked at him confused but Perseus shook his head. He leaned down and kissed Artemis on the cheek, "Later Artemis, let's deal with the hunters. I will explain more later; right now, I want to enjoy being back with you and Zoe and the rest of the girls again."

Artemis looked like she wanted to argue but decided against it and nodded. The look she gave Perseus made it clear they would be discussing it later.

When the siblings walked back into the hunters' camp, they found all the girls waiting expectantly around a fire, most seated on logs or stumps. Perseus took a seat between Phoebe and Zoe while Diana and Victoria got up from their seats and sat in front of Perseus, leaning back against his legs as they all waited for Artemis to speak.

"Alright girls, I am going to start at the beginning because I don't know what you might know and what you might not." Artemis said as the hunters' attention immediately focused on their mistress.

"This is my little brother Perseus. He is the youngest child of Zeus and Leto, so yes, he is both mine and Apollo's full brother. A lot of people think our mother was banished after Apollo and I were born but that is not true, she was banished after Percy was. Percy was sent to Olympus after she was banished while he was just a child god. Since he didn't have anyone to raise him because our father is a worthless male," She said as thunder rumbled. "He was raised mostly by our Aunt Hestia and me. As he grew up, he became my best friend to go along with being my brother."

A huntress raised her hand making Artemis pause.

"Milady, if he is yours and Apollo's brother, why haven't we heard of him?" One of the newer hunters asked.

Artemis nodded, "I am getting to that Lily. Perseus was made and Olympian when he grew up when our Aunt Hestia requested he take her place."

A few hands went up but Artemis held up her hand.

"She wanted Percy to take her place because she loved him like a son. Percy is the God of Night, Loyalty and Heroes. Although he had his own duties, he spent the majority of his time in the hunt both because I wanted him there but also because the hunters all loved him like a brother. Then about two thousand years ago, when our father made that vile man Heracles a god, he tried to force our half-sister Hebe to marry him. She refused and Percy took her away from Olympus to hide her from our father. Heracles found her some time afterword but when she refused to go with him, he hit her."

Growling could be heard from the majority of hunters as Artemis smiled at their reaction.

"Percy came back right after she was struck and he almost killed Heracles despite the fact he was a god. Zeus was so angry that he demanded that Percy he punished by the council." She explained and looked at Zoe to pick up the story.

Zoe stood up, "Before the council meeting, Zeus demanded that Artemis and Apollo vote with him to banish Percy from Olympus. When they refused, he threatened to kill me. He also made them both swear on the River Styx to never tell anyone or he would kill me and all the hunters."

The hunters all had looks of shock and outrage while Percy just stared at the ground bitterly.

"Why did they threaten you instead of all us both times?" A hunter asked.

Zoe's face turned a little red before she steeled her nerves. "He threatened me because Percy and I were in love and he knew Percy would never forgive Artemis and Apollo if they let me die."

"What?" A hunter said standing up. "He is a man! He will break your heart!"

Zoe glared at the girl while Artemis stood up again, "No he will not Atalanta. Percy never dated a single other woman before Zoe and in two thousand years, despite the fact that Zoe had no memory of him, he was never with a single other woman." Artemis said firmly.

Most of the hunters all looked at Percy in shock but he just avoided their gazes feeling somewhat awkward having his love life discussed by a bunch of immortal pre-teens.

Zoe sat back down but this time sitting on Percy's lap where she kissed him softly on the cheek, bringing a smile to his face.

"What do you mean you didn't remember him?" Atalanta asked confused.

Percy frowned, "Zeus forced Hera to take the memories of Zoe, Phoebe, Vicky and Diana as well as the rest of the hunters at that time. He manipulated the mist to make it seem like Hestia gave her seat to that worthless wine god. I was erased from the history books and banished from Olympus."

Most of the hunters looked at Percy sympathetically while Zoe leaned back against him trying to give him a little comfort.

"How can Zoe be a hunter if she is in a relationship?" A hunter named Sophie asked.

Artemis smiled, "Because Percy doesn't count. He is a member of the hunt as far as I am concerned. He also knows if he ever hurt Zoe, that he would be castrated by myself and Zoe in the most painful way possible. But he would never do that. He is my brother and I am pretty sure he was supposed to be my twin and not Apollo as Percy is like me and nothing like our brother."

The hunters all looked at Percy warily but none spoke up.

Phoebe noticed this and spoke up, "Sisters, I know this is not what you expect but you just have to trust us that knew Percy. I promise you will all love him like we do. He isn't like men, Percy is special, our one exception. Just give him a chance and you won't regret it."

The hunters all looked at Phoebe, who is arguably their biggest man-hater, but saw nothing but sincerity in her words. They looked at the other oldest hunters, Vicky and Diana who nodded their heads in agreement to her statement.

Artemis stood up, "Alright girls, off to bed. We need to go to Camp Half-Blood and I would prefer to get it out of the way as quickly as possible."

A collective groan came from the huntresses before they marched off to their tents until on Artemis and Perseus remained along with the four eldest hunters.

Diana came up to Percy first and pulled him into another hug, "w don't you dare disappear again Percy."

Perseus smiled, "I'm not going any D. Go get some sleep."

Diana smiled, "Aw you still remember my nickname Perce." She said happily before taking off to her tent with Phoebe and Vicky.

Zoe looked at Perseus with a smile, "What are you going to do since you obviously aren't going to sleep?"

Perseus grinned, "I see you still remember… I am going to go to the Underworld. I am going to bring Nico and Bianca to Camp Half-Blood when we arrive. I want them to smack around some of the demigods for practice."

Zoe nodded and kissed Perseus softly on the lips before heading for her tent leaving only the two siblings up.

"Why are we going to camp?" Perseus asked confused.

Artemis sighed, "Zeus says the Titans have found the Labyrinth and are looking to attack camp through it."

Perseus nodded in understanding before flashing his sister a smile before vanishing into a dark light.

He reappeared outside the gates of Hades Palace where Alecto and her two sisters sat perched. When they noticed Perseus, they nodded in his direction, "Lord Perseus, I will inform my lord you have arrived." Alecto said vanishing from sight as the gates slowly opened.

Perseus walked into the throne room of Hades where both he and Persephone were seated in their thrones talking. At the sight of Perseus, Persephone smiled, "Little brother, nice of you to visit."

Perseus grinned, "Hey sis, Uncle."

Hades smiled as waved his hand as Nico and Bianca appeared in middle of the throne room. When they saw Perseus, their faces lit up, "Percy!"

Perseus smiled, "You two did well today, both of you. But I'm here because I want to bring you to Camp Half-Blood tomorrow."

Both siblings looked at Perseus confused along with Hades.

"What, why?" Bianca asked.

Perseus grinned, "I want to knock my sister and her hunters down a peg. You two are going to play with the campers for capture the flag and you're going to win."

Hades looked surprised before he smirked, "I think that sounds good. I assume you will make sure they are safe?"

Perseus rolled his eyes, "Please Uncle, I think you know I wouldn't let someone touch my little cousins and champions. It's just time for people to know these two are going to be a force to be reckoned with. I assume they've been training?"

Hades nodded, "Theseus has been training Nico while Bianca has been trained by some of the dead hunters in Elysium."

Perseus grinned, "Good, you two just be ready by tomorrow afternoon. We're going to put on a show during capture the flag."

"Wait, Percy." Nico said. "Why were we so good today? We've been practicing a lot but we aren't that good yet."

Perseus smirked, "I told you guys, I am the god of heroes. I've never had champions before and you two are the firsts which means you get my blessing, the first ever to. Your skills also increase with my blessing. As god of heroes, I can also give you even more help and erase your fears and doubts while in battle. I simply took away your fears. The rest was all you guys and your skills which I must say are getting quite good. I am proud of both of you. Tomorrow, we show those stupid campers the Di Angelos are here now and they are not to be toyed with."

Bianca and Nico both nodded and smiled in anticipation before leaving the throne room.

Hades looked at Perseus a little worriedly. "You are planning something for them aren't you?"

Perseus smirked, "Perhaps but I am not sure yet. I would never do anything with them without your blessing uncle, rest assured."

Hades seemed satisfied before he waved his hand and conjured up a throne for Perseus, "Come, join us. We could use a little company nephew."

Perseus smiled and walked to the throne to join his sister and uncle.


End file.
